Monday

A New Year = New Opportunities!


It's the first Monday of 2010! I had grand plans to get myself ready for this first Monday of the first full week of the New Year. Ready to attack, ready to be better then ever, ready to send my little business into the next phase of awesomeness. My husband and I have been brainstorming marketing ideas during all the long driving and coming up with new ideas to get me rolling in a new, better direction. I was excited, I was ready. We headed home last Saturday after a fabulous weekend in Seattle for the new year - we were half way when we got a call that our 8 month old niece who had been in the hospital for the last week because on Pneumonia was being transferred by ambulance to a different hospital for surgery. We turned around and went right back to help with her two brothers (age 2 and 4). So last night we started the drive home with every seat in our seven passenger filled. I'm trying 5 kids out for size for the next couple days and all the great plans I was pumped to explore are on hold till I can get my office (aka the guest-room) back.

In a way though - the year couldn't have started with a better test. One of my goals and highest priority resolutions is to KEEP my family first. Last year was my first as Leah Remillet Photography. It had a lot of ups and downs and at the end I found myself far busier then I was prepared to handle. I took on way to much and for the last 3 months my family had to constantly be placed at the back of the line because of client deadlines. I read once a photographer that said her family does not see her for those 3 months and then she take a month off to get back to them. I tried that on for size and learned it's not for me. My family is my career of choice, mother - wife -homemaker extraordinaire (o.k. I just added that last word for kicks). But thats where I want to be remembered, for capturing a wonderful life and giving it to my family, not capturing a wonderful moment for someone else's family and giving it to them in print. Pleas don't misunderstand - I positively adore photography and am giddy with making my business grow but NOT at the expense of those I love the most. The adage 'think smarter - not harder' has never rung more true to me!!
So... Here is to smarter thinking that will take us into a better ending!

I'll be back Wednesday for Q and A - so send me your questions and I'll try to find you some answers. You can email them to: go4prophotos@gmail.com.

2 comments:

  1. You just take care! Hope to hear that your niece is doing better.

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  2. Amen, sista! I found myself also driving with my husband in the car this holiday season saying, "If I can only get a babysitter for this many hours per week..." etc, etc, etc. And then I stopped and thought to myself, "How close to the line am I walking?" Photography is supposed to be enriching my life, not taking it over. Just this afternoon my daughter wanted her snack. And then she asked, "Can you eat a snack with me?" I can't remember the last time I sat down and had lunch with my daughter. How horrible I feel, when I imagined her sitting all alone every afternoon eating by herself! While I am sitting in front of the computer... I've got a lot to think about as well. It would be very beneficial to me to see what ground rules you set in place for yourself.

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