January was my trial month for the new year. Its has been a month of figuring out what is BROKEN in both my personal and business life and figuring out what changes needed to happen. This upcoming month I am planning to put some goals, dreams and plans into action…or in other words…on my Priority List!

It is so easy during the year to make a “I will get to that” pile and a “if I have time” list and “one day” basket. The funny thing about those piles, lists and baskets is that that is where they stay. They remain stagnant in a somewhat frozen form until one day we CHOOSE to move them to the “top priority” stack.

Much like the gym…we come up with reasons and excuses to justify why we just don’t have the TIME to get in a workout in a day. We often are caught saying, “I wish I could go to the gym, but I just dont have the time.” But, it is not until we change our words to the following statement, that it really hits home what we are saying to ourselves: “I wish I could go to the gym, but ITS JUST NOT A PRIORITY.” Wow. That changes things doesn’t it?!!?!? Basically admitting that something is just NOT that important to us!?!? (Thanks for this nugget of thought Jennifer O’Conner!)

If we do not make our wishes, dreams and goals a PRIORITY, we must then prepare to live with the reasons and excuses we are left with instead. 

Some micro changes I am making to, not only my business, but my personal life this year are the following:

1. In KNP, I will finally set work hours. I will not be reachable 24-7 to anyone and everyone. I will enforce holidays, closed days for family obligations and personal time.
2. I will not attend any conferences in the year 2016. This was a hard decisoin for me. But it was needed. For a whole SLEW of reasons. I usually attend United and WPPI every year, and this year I plan to skip both. As we are building a house, the extra funds are needed for my amazing office I am putting together and if I travel this year it will be with my family/husband or for personal trips. (Early 2017 we plan to take the kids on a weeklong Disney Fantasy Cruise with the MARVEL characters in the Western Caribbean. We can’t wait, but as most of you know…thats a lot of saving that must be done!)
3. I will set aside one day a week to BLOG for the week, so I am not 34 weddings behind like I am right now! NOT to mention all the other engagement and family sessions that happened in 2016. OY! I plan to blog a minimum of 2-3 days a week and gain a set base of followers. Will you be tuning in?
4. I am adding ANOTHER gift to my list of gifts for my clients and this one is coming AFTER the wedding day. Its the one area I was lacking in and now, that will change!
5. I will be hosting 2 workshops this year; one in the summer…..one in the late fall.
6. I will be adding new products to my KNP Store and updating my website with new images and information!
7. I will be involved more in my kids school. In fact TODAY, as we speak, I am teaching my sons preschool class today with his teacher and we are doing a snack and craft! (Then, on Thursday I plan to sign up for PTC pizza day where I can pass out pizza to the whole school!)
8. I will take my dog on more walks, take her picture more often and document the life of my loved ones with as much love and dedication as I do my clients and their families.
9. I plan to more avid with my submissions and features. I have grown lax in this area and that needs to change.
10. I plan to spend ONE day a month (more if I can) doing something for someone else. Whether it is helping them with a project…being a shoulder to vent/cry on, helping them with an area of business they struggle in, shoveling a neighbors driveway, cutting their grass (well, wait…lets me be real…PAYING for their grass to be cut! lol), watch their kids while they run to the store, etc.

**And as a bonus…because I miss it so so much…I PLAN TO READ A MINIMUM OF 3 BOOKS THIS YEAR! Man, I love to read….don’t you? Any suggestions you may have please leave in the comments!

These are all very basic and micro changes. Some that have everything to do with KNP and some that have NOTHING to do with it. Yet somehow, these are all intertwined. Sadly, my current situation in life is….BUSINESS IS GREAT, PERSONAL LIFE FAILING.  Or PERSONAL LIFE BOOMING….BUSINESS FAILING AND TAKING MAJOR HITS. Much like marriage is 100% effort from BOTH individuals to work….running your own company is 100% personal and 100% business. I need both in unison for each other to work and prosper.

I encourage you all out there to make some micro changes in efforts to see those macro results. Remember…you didn’t leave those 40 hours a week day jobs you hated to follow a passion that has you working 120 hours in a week and feeling drained and MISSING OUT ON YOUR LIFE!

For an amazing article on “How to Start a Photography Business” from ShootDotEdit, Kindly head HERE. It is a can’t miss read!

xoxo, Kaitlin Noel