Hi friends! It’s April here, and I’m going to be joining you for CMP’s 3 Tips for Photographers this month! Even though I’m not the gal behind the camera at CMP, I still feel that I have a little something to share with everyone about this month’s topic: setting reasonable goals. For some people goals are a daily part of life, they drive you, motivate you, and help you feel successful at the end of the day. For others “goal” is a word that conjures panic and makes you feel like someone is smothering you with a bath towel. And if you’re like most of us, we live somewhere in the spectrum between those poles. Similarly, goals have a tendency to live in one of two camps: insanely difficult (photograph the wedding of Will & Kate!) or mundanely easy (Get out of bed and brush my teeth). The meaningful goals, the goals that move you forward and show you progress, those live in the middle, and that’s why I’m here today, to give you 3 tips to setting meaningful goals.

#3-Brainstorm big! Then edit.

 

Sit down with a notebook, a pen, a cup of coffee and 1 free hour (at least) and start dreaming! What do you want to see happen in your business? How do you want to grow in creativity? What needs to happen to improve your personal life? Start with big questions and work yourself down to small ones. Once you have a niiiiiice long list, pick your top 3 or 4. Pick things that are really important to you, or maybe a business goal, a personal goal and a spiritual goal. Remember that you can’t do everything all at once, so choose a few and move on to tip #2.

#2-Stair step yourself

 

Once you think of a large goal, come up with smaller goals to get you there. Is your goal to have your photos published once every month? Why not make it your goal to submit something for publication once a week? Perhaps you could add to that a twice weekly time set aside for researching and finding more blogs/magazines for you to submit your work to. Try to break down those lofty goals into manageable smaller goals that move you in the right direction.

#1-Celebrate & start over

 

Once you accomplish something it’s time to celebrate! So keep track of your goals – either write them down or have them in your calendar so that you can visually SEE your progress and FEEL that sense of accomplishment. Take solace in that check sheet full of checks, or your “to-do” list full of crossed-out items. You did it! Maybe even set up a reward for yourself if you achieve a large goal (I find setting aside $15 for anything I want at Target is an amazing motivator, amiright?!). However you choose, once you’ve accomplished your goals, allow yourself to feel that and glory in it. It will help you do hone your goal-setting process for the next time. And friend, before you know it, you’ll be a goal setting machine.

If you have a goal setting system or have had a great experience setting and achieving your goals, please leave your story in the comments – we would love to be a part of celebrating you and keeping the conversation going!!

 

With love,

 

April