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Afternoon Snack
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
101 Goals in 1001 days
I am a list maker.
I enjoy order and efficiency and I love the feeling of 'checking things off my list'. Its a sense of accomplishment, a sense of purpose, and a way to measure the way I've spent my time. In fact, I love putting things on my monthly calendar, because when I look back on it at the end of the month, I can physically see the way I've spent my last 30 days. I feel amazing when I'm busy and get things done.
So it makes sense that I would eventually incorporate lists into my photography career. As a newbie who is trying to built a photography business from the ground up, I think my goals in a list form will really provide me with focus and purpose in the coming three years.
The inspiration for the 101 goals in 1001 days came from reading two posts by Denver area photographers R.J. Kern (Kern Photo) and Amanda Tipton (Kokoro Photo). Being new to the area, I'm slowly trying to learn about (and hopefully meet!) other wedding photographers and the two of them seem like fun people with great photographic work. I like the idea of updating my list as I accomplish my goals, and sharing the final products with photographic proof when possible. I will re-post this as one of my first posts once I get my photography blogsite up and running (Goal #1).
Since I finished my list today, my 1001 days will expire on Saturday, February 7, 2015.
You'll see that this list has mostly photography components to it as this is the area that I have the biggest goals to work towards, but there are plenty of other personal goals (both fun and serious!) to reach. I hope you enjoy following along as much as I enjoy attempting to accomplish my goals.
I enjoy order and efficiency and I love the feeling of 'checking things off my list'. Its a sense of accomplishment, a sense of purpose, and a way to measure the way I've spent my time. In fact, I love putting things on my monthly calendar, because when I look back on it at the end of the month, I can physically see the way I've spent my last 30 days. I feel amazing when I'm busy and get things done.
So it makes sense that I would eventually incorporate lists into my photography career. As a newbie who is trying to built a photography business from the ground up, I think my goals in a list form will really provide me with focus and purpose in the coming three years.
The inspiration for the 101 goals in 1001 days came from reading two posts by Denver area photographers R.J. Kern (Kern Photo) and Amanda Tipton (Kokoro Photo). Being new to the area, I'm slowly trying to learn about (and hopefully meet!) other wedding photographers and the two of them seem like fun people with great photographic work. I like the idea of updating my list as I accomplish my goals, and sharing the final products with photographic proof when possible. I will re-post this as one of my first posts once I get my photography blogsite up and running (Goal #1).
Since I finished my list today, my 1001 days will expire on Saturday, February 7, 2015.
You'll see that this list has mostly photography components to it as this is the area that I have the biggest goals to work towards, but there are plenty of other personal goals (both fun and serious!) to reach. I hope you enjoy following along as much as I enjoy attempting to accomplish my goals.
101 Goals in 1001 Days: Green Blossom Edition
Completion date: Saturday, February 7,
2015
1.
Launch Green Blossom blogsite
2.
Blog twice a week
3.
Write inspiration posts for blog
4.
Write FAQ’s for blogsite
5.
Write a kick-ass ‘About Me’ section for blogsite
6.
Enter a photo contest
7.
Contact a local gallery about selling my work
8.
Create a business card
9.
Create a marketing postcard
10. Consult
with a lawyer to create a contract
11. Sign
up for liability insurance
12. Open
a business bank account
13. Shoot
a wedding as a second photographer
14. Purchase
a full frame camera
15. Purchase
a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens
16. Purchase
a 70-200mm g/2.8 lens
17. Try
out a new lighting technique
18. Photograph
a wedding with my wife
19. Photograph
a same-sex wedding
20. Advertise
in a publication geared for same-sex couples
21. Photograph
a newborn baby
22. Get
portraits taken of me
23. Attend
a photography class/ workshop
24. Attend
a wedding photography class/ workshop
25. Purchase
an iMac
26. Purchase
CS6
27. Join
a photography organization
28. Subscribe
to a photography magazine
29. Subscribe
to a wedding magazine
30. Attend
a bridal show
31. Host
a booth at a bridal show
32. Meet
area photographers
33. Photograph
a gymnastics meet
34. Photograph
an elite gymnastics meet
35. Photograph
a destination wedding
36. Eat
a whole lobster
37. Have
a wedding featured on Style Me Pretty
38. Buy
a car
39. Buy
a house
40. Have
our first child
41. Give
birth naturally
42. Have
maternity photos taken
43. Hike
the Grand Canyon
44. Go
to Hawaii
45. Take
my wife on a surprise vacation
46. Print
gallery wrap canvases for our nursery
47. Photograph
a boudoir shoot
48. Finish
scrapbooking our wedding album
49. Complete
365 Day photo project
50. Have
a 365 Day photo project party
51. Publish
an ad in a local bridal magazine
52. Go
to the 2015 gymnastics world championships
53. Purchase
a monitor calibrator
54. Go
to an 'equipment try-out' day at the Denver Zoo
55. Go
to the Denver Museum of Science and Nature
56. Visit
Mesa Verda
57. Climb
a 14,000 foot mountain
58. Cook
every recipe in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook
59. Finish
transferring my gymnastics VHS tapes to DVD
60. Take
voice lessons
61. Join
a yoga and spinning studio
62. Join
a volleyball league
63. Pay
off our credit card debt
64. Buy
a dresser
65. Complete
the Red Rocks fitness challenge
66. Get
a massage
67. Have
a spa day with my mom
68. Buy
a bike with a basket
69. Knit
a blanket for our baby
70. Grow
my own herbs
71. Print
photographs for my wife’s office
72. Attend
a concert at Red Rocks
73. Take
a 3-day backpacking trip
74. Host
a dinner party complete with stylish table decorations
75. Go
on a business planning retreat
76. Create
a cozy and inspiring studio space
77. Evaluate
101 goals and progress throughout the year
78. Photograph
a stylized photo shoot for fun and experience
79. Visit
a natural hot springs
80. Start
figure modeling again
81. Learn
off camera lighting set-up with wireless remote
82. Create
a list of photography blogs I follow and check weekly
83. Introduce
myself to photography bloggers I follow
84. Find
photoshop plug-ins I like
85. Define
my photographic style
86. Photograph
a wedding at the Denver Botanic Gardens
87. Purchase
a pair of Vibrum 5 fingers
88. Run
a 5K race in Vibrum 5 fingers
89. Visit
the 4 corners
90. Go
on a wine tour
91. Have lunch with a local wedding
photographer whose work I admire
92. Make monkey
bread
93. Do a
photoshoot with headpieces from Dani Hansen’s ‘From Sprout to Out’ collection
94. Go
horseback riding
95. Print my
own greeting cards as family Christmas gifts
96. Go
on a 30-mile bike riding adventure
97. Purchase a
case of Chenin Blanc from Goosecross Vineyards
98. Go apple
picking
99. Make a
dessert from a Martha Stewart recipe
100.
Go on a 10 mile-run
101.
Make my own ice cream
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Vita Abundantior -- A Health Analysis
I've been thinking about my health and my body quite a bit in the last few weeks. Not in a bad way, as I've never been one to constantly put myself down or criticize myself (although, as with most women, I think every now in then it's inside of the norm), but more as an analysis of where I am, where I want to be, and how to get there.
Last week I went to the batting cages with the softball team that I'll be playing on for the summer. I haven't played fast-pitch softball in almost two years, though we played about 6 months of slow-pitch in Syracuse. So while I know I'm not super fit for softball, I wasn't expecting to see how weak I felt. I felt like my swing was still pretty good and I was making decent contact with the ball by the end of the evening, but I just felt like I had so little power. In my arms, my hips, and my core.
Then today I want for a run. I've been running a few times since we've been in Colorado and I've felt pretty good on each run, but today my legs just felt heavy. Again, my hips felt weak. So, I started to think about why this might be happening and how I can change things up so I feel stronger.
My conclusion is that, while I am doing more daily active things (like riding my bike to work, hiking once a week), I'm doing less intensive exercise. In college I was a two season athlete with a workout plan for the summer. After I graduated I was dating a college athlete and was still in the mindset of exercising almost every day. In DC I discovered yoga and we joined a gym, which I was adamant about working into our weekly schedule. I also did a lot of walking in DC. And then in Syracuse, I went to spinning and yoga weekly, I ran a couple of races, and I played on softball and kickball teams.
Part of what I was so excited about with our move to Colorado was the active lifestyle mindset of most people who live here. Here biking as a means of transportation is common, people take their three year olds and their dogs on hikes, and families hang out a parks with their kids. As far as vita abundantior goes, I feel like we've done a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities to be active and outside in Denver. But what I think has fallen by the wayside is my attention to overall core strength and fitness. And as a soon to be 28-year old who would like to start a family in the next year or two, its really important to me to be fit and in shape before I get pregnant so I can continue that lifestyle during the pregnancy.
If we had the opportunity to hike four or five times a week I think the fitness would take care of itself, but the fact is, we're happy if we get to fit one hike in per week because of our work schedules. So I need to form a plan to make sure that my overall needs are met, while still making sure that we embrace the Colorado mindset. A good balance is what I need and here are my short term plans for achieving it:
1) I've signed up for two months of sunrise vinyasa yoga classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens. As an employee, I get to go for free, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity, even though the classes start at 7am.
2) I'm going to start doing some basic lifting and core exercises each evening while we're watching TV at night.
3) I currently work four days a week and have three off, so I'm going to go for a run, for however long I'm feeling, for two of those days.
4) Weekly bike rides, hiking trips, and organized sports should help round out my week. This fall, I hope to add volleyball to the repertoire.
I'm really excited to get back to yoga, and perhaps when I get a full time job, I can find a spinning studio to join too. I'll report back on progress as the summer goes along.
Last week I went to the batting cages with the softball team that I'll be playing on for the summer. I haven't played fast-pitch softball in almost two years, though we played about 6 months of slow-pitch in Syracuse. So while I know I'm not super fit for softball, I wasn't expecting to see how weak I felt. I felt like my swing was still pretty good and I was making decent contact with the ball by the end of the evening, but I just felt like I had so little power. In my arms, my hips, and my core.
Then today I want for a run. I've been running a few times since we've been in Colorado and I've felt pretty good on each run, but today my legs just felt heavy. Again, my hips felt weak. So, I started to think about why this might be happening and how I can change things up so I feel stronger.
My conclusion is that, while I am doing more daily active things (like riding my bike to work, hiking once a week), I'm doing less intensive exercise. In college I was a two season athlete with a workout plan for the summer. After I graduated I was dating a college athlete and was still in the mindset of exercising almost every day. In DC I discovered yoga and we joined a gym, which I was adamant about working into our weekly schedule. I also did a lot of walking in DC. And then in Syracuse, I went to spinning and yoga weekly, I ran a couple of races, and I played on softball and kickball teams.
Part of what I was so excited about with our move to Colorado was the active lifestyle mindset of most people who live here. Here biking as a means of transportation is common, people take their three year olds and their dogs on hikes, and families hang out a parks with their kids. As far as vita abundantior goes, I feel like we've done a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities to be active and outside in Denver. But what I think has fallen by the wayside is my attention to overall core strength and fitness. And as a soon to be 28-year old who would like to start a family in the next year or two, its really important to me to be fit and in shape before I get pregnant so I can continue that lifestyle during the pregnancy.
If we had the opportunity to hike four or five times a week I think the fitness would take care of itself, but the fact is, we're happy if we get to fit one hike in per week because of our work schedules. So I need to form a plan to make sure that my overall needs are met, while still making sure that we embrace the Colorado mindset. A good balance is what I need and here are my short term plans for achieving it:
1) I've signed up for two months of sunrise vinyasa yoga classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens. As an employee, I get to go for free, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity, even though the classes start at 7am.
2) I'm going to start doing some basic lifting and core exercises each evening while we're watching TV at night.
3) I currently work four days a week and have three off, so I'm going to go for a run, for however long I'm feeling, for two of those days.
4) Weekly bike rides, hiking trips, and organized sports should help round out my week. This fall, I hope to add volleyball to the repertoire.
I'm really excited to get back to yoga, and perhaps when I get a full time job, I can find a spinning studio to join too. I'll report back on progress as the summer goes along.
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