Every year I meticulously make my New Year resolutions.  I write them down feeling very excited and relish in that 'anything is possible!' energy.... and then I promptly stick that list somewhere and never look at it again.  I want this year to be different so I need to change my approach.  Instead of setting huge goals and noble, but overly lofty, pursuits I'm going to simply try and live each day just a little bit better than the last.  There are small things that I know I need to do each day in order to feel a sense of completeness and satisfaction.  

#1 - Be Present.  We've all had it happen, we drive to the store, park and do our shopping.  We come back out and have NO IDEA where our car is.    Are we really "too busy" to remember where we parked or were we simply not present at the time we pulled into the shopping center. I found myself doing this all the time, mostly due to being on the phone, researching an upcoming shoot or just simply lost in thought.  At the end of the day I felt like I had missed so much, I felt guilty and unsatisfied.  This year I want to be present to whatever I am doing, if it's accomplishing a task then do it fully and move on.  If it is having dinner with the family then that is where my focus will be.  Anything worth doing is worth doing fully.

#2 - Accelerate Business.  For me this means making one meaningful step toward acquiring new business, following up on past business or improving my current on-line presence.  The only way to succeed is with forward movement.

#3 - Learn Something New.  I don't want to just be an "average" photographer.  I want to be AMAZING and that requires daily practice and study.

#4 - Acknowledge God.  Amen.

#5 - Network With Others.  Community is so important, especially when you are working by yourself without the daily social contact you would normally get from an office setting.  An email, phone call or text gives you a bit of connection and can make a big difference in your day. 

#6 - Cherish Family.  What would this life be without them?

#7 - Exercise and Eat Well.  This could also be called "get out of your pajamas and eat a vegetable".  (Things might have gotten a little out of control that first year of business ;)

This list has become my new "to-do" and I mentally check off each one every day.  Here's to living the life YOU want in 2015!