Well it’s Labor Day Weekend again and that usually means I’ve gotten a year older. When I was younger, it was always kind of fun because it meant a three day weekend. And my favorite part about my birthday was that my Grandpa Karl started the month of August and I ended it. It just seemed awesomely perfect to me.

Usually when my birthday rolls around, I take some time to contemplate the past year… what I’ve accomplished, where I’m at, and where I’d like to head. I’m a rather introspective person and I have this constant need to evaluate and improve. It’s something I do with my relationships, myself, and my business. I always want to be certain that I’m giving the best of myself to everything. So taking the time to step back and look at everything helps me feel confident that I’m doing that.

So 27… It wasn’t bad. I think I’ve grown a lot this past year. I learned that I have limits, and it’s okay for me to say no. That was really hard for me to learn actually because I SO enjoy helping others, whether it’s in my work life or personal life. It can be really hard to tell someone you love that you can’t do something for them. But I’m learning that there are certain things I need & that it’s okay to prioritize those things. Because if I don’t, I can’t give the best of myself to people around me.

One of the things I’ve learned to prioritize is quiet time & it’s another HUGE thing I’ve learned about myself. I’m not the best with big groups. I’ve always known this about myself but didn’t understand why and I always felt bad for not being super social and outgoing. But I understand now that it’s okay and that it’s perfectly acceptable for me to schedule time to unwind or to be selective about what big gatherings I choose to go to. I hate letting people down, but it’s crazy how doing too much can really run me down so I’m learning to make sure I have time set aside to take care of myself.

It’s also been this past year that I’ve decided to narrow down my focus in my business more too. We have two more weddings this year and then we are taking next year off from weddings. As of right now – I am not planning on doing them again (except for the occasional few small outdoor weddings… maybe). It was a hard decision but I think it’s the right one to make. I have so many photographer friends who are PASSIONATE about wedding photography and really phenomenal at it and I realized that the rush and hustle that is wedding day photography – just isn’t where my excitement lies. I love spending time with people, getting to know you, and documenting those little things that make you beautiful, perfect, special… It’s really hard to slow down enough on a wedding day to really capture all those little nuances and that’s what drives me in my artwork! So it just makes sense in my mind to focus in on couples, seniors, and families. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get enough new clients in the door to make up for the loss of wedding income, but I’m confident this is the right choice for my business and my family.

And all this introspection and slowing down has really helped me to start to slow down on a regular basis and take care of myself. It’s so easy in this job to get caught up in work and just work from the time I get up until the time I go to bed (which is usually between midnight and one in the morning). But I’m making myself step away and spend more time living, enjoying time with my husband, and taking care of me. I’m trying to be better about not just ordering a pizza but making something healthy. At 28 I didn’t really plan to be the size that I am. But there is more to life than the number on the scale or the size pants I wear. At this point – my focus is on being healthy and taking care of myself… things I’ve neglected in the past because I was so fixated on taking care of everyone else.

So all in all I think last year was a huge year of learning for me! I’ve come a long way, though I know I still have a long way yet to go. I hope you all are having a stupendous Labor Day weekend! And we will see you back here on Wednesday!

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