Just wanted to say a quick (but heartfelt) Happy New Year to my photographer friends and clients! After a wonderful break spent with family, I am ready to head out to the mountains for some more fabulous family sessions this year! I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.

Rather than lull you to sleep with a post on my personal goals for the year, I thought I’d post a little guide offering tips on how to follow through with those new year resolutions.

Be Intentional

Make time to plan out your goals. Think back to what you would’ve changed or what you wish you had accomplished the previous year. Sometimes January 1st gets here and we think that we need to set every goal that day, but that just sets us up for failure. Try setting smaller, short-term goals throughout the year instead of one huge, ambiguous goal at the beginning of the year. Moving one step at a time with realistic goals will keep you motivated and on track. (Don’t forget those long-term goals, too. You can watch how each small goal you master leads to fulfilling larger, dream-sized goals.)

Be Specific

Make sure that your goals are definite and detailed. For instance, instead of saying that I plan on losing weight this year, I could define it by saying that I plan on working out twice a week and eating fresh, prepared meals at home four times per week instead of eating out. I can easily prepare steps, keep track, and follow through with that goal. Plus, it’s much healthier than just saying I want to lose ten pounds in a month.

Make Measurable Goals

Keep track of your progress. Create goals that you can monitor over time so that you know how you’re doing—you can easily see where you’re excelling and where you need to pick up the pace. For example, if you’re a digital photographer who wants to incorporate film, start small by choosing three family/close friend sessions to try it out on until you get comfortable. Once you feel like you’re mastering it, decide to do ¼ of each shoot with film and the rest digital. Move up from there (as opposed to saying, “I’d like to incorporate more film images this year.”)

Make Attainable Goals

Start with attainable goals, and you’ll have more success. We all know that we can’t just speak goals into existence. They take time and effort. So, choosing realistic, feasible goals based on available time and skills allows us to dig deeper and challenge ourselves—and come out on top at the end. For instance, instead of saying you’ll learn five new photography methods this year, just start with one. Take a class and then utilize what you learned by doing a personal project for fun. Don’t make it something you dread but rather something you enjoy and look forward to!

I am so excited to see what 2019 has in store for all of us. What are your 2019 goals?