2020 We Welcome You - Peanut Butter Grits

Persevere

My word for 2020 is persevere. Keep going. Don’t stop. Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty. 2020 we welcome you.

I know a lot of people balk at “new year’s resolutions,” “new goals,” “new visions,” but I thrive on them. I love to see what people have set out before them. Things they want to accomplish, tasks they want to complete, fresh starts, and new visions they have set to conquer. It’s inspiring. I cringe when I see people poking fun at new people at the gym or a image they share on social media that they are using for guidance. I see absolutely nothing wrong with people stepping up and taking control of their destiny.

My own 2020 goals

365 project

A 365 day project, simply put, is a personal photography goal of taking one image per day for 365 days. The last time I strived for one was a few years ago and I grew more as a photographer than any other year. There were days I waited till the last second, there were days I didn’t feel like shooting, and there were days I felt like I had gained more than I ever knew possible. It pushed me in the best way and I will forever be grateful for those images of our year. It was the grit of the year I cherished most.

This project pulls at my heart strings. It was one of the hardest years I’ve ever had, yet was the biggest blessings I didn’t know I needed. I took my trusty camera everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I learned to shoot in the dark, in the rain, in bright sunlight, and less than ideal circumstances. I learned to find beauty in everyday moments. I welcome this 365 project with open arms.

debt free in 2020

The next goal for this year is to finally be consumer debt free in 2020. I know without a shadow of a doubt this is our year. I’ll give our new debt free journey numbers soon, but by the end of this month…we will only have 3 debts left. Back in July 2019 we were at $70,500 in debt. We are no where near that number any more. This month we are cash flowing a “new” to me car (the van is slowly dying), and pay off 2 entire credit cards. I’m so excited I can barley contain myself.

What a journey this has been and continues to be, but gosh the reward is going to be something of miracles.

taking my business to a whole new level

I always have new goals for my business and I have gotten a lot of questions about wether I was going to continue when we moved. To be honest, I didn’t know. Starting over in a brand new city is hard, but I can do hard things. I’ve never done anything half ass (except exercising lol) and I don’t plan on it now. BUT…things shifted for me when we moved. I felt like it was my chance to shake things up a bit. I decided I wasn’t going to just take sessions for the sake of being busy. I was going to take sessions that made me excited again.

Lifestyle sessions make me excited. Real life makes me excited. Crying toddlers, annoyed teens, and spilled mi.k makes me excited. I know that may sound weird to some, but I find beauty in the real. I like gorgeous back light and smiling faces as much as the next person, but I love authentic human expressions even more.

I don’t want to just hand over a gallery and say “good luck, hope you like it.” I want to give my clients tangible memories to look back on and feel like they can still smell their baby’s newly washed hair, the feel of their toddler coming in for a tight squeezed hug, and the faint twinge as they look upon the images of their children growing before their very eyes.

Foster the relationship in my home

As a society, we can get so caught up in the outside world we sometimes forget that the people inside the four walls of your home are the most important thing. In a lot of ways, I/We are shaping the next generations of our family. The relationships that we foster inside our own homes are forming what kind of homes these kids have in the future. Am I showing them a serving mother, is their dad forming bonds that will stand the test of time? I know…heavy stuff. I do think like this though. I want them to be successful human beings with hearts of gold. I want them to serve others, help around the house, and have respect. The only way to do that? To show them.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not an easy task. God didn’t give us these tiny humans because HE thought it was going to be easy, HE gave them to us to change us, to mold us, and lead them to HIM.

I’m also not just talking about fostering the relationship with my children either. I have a husband here. When all is said and done and the kids are off to their new chapters in their own lives, we only have each other. I better be taking care of our marriage as well. Making time to nourish the most special relationship is one of my top priorities this year. He is my best friend, the one I turn to for everything, and the one who sparks more giggles in me than anyone else on the planet. More time talking, less time scrolling. More time holding hands, less time fists up in the air. More time connecting, less time bickering.