Goals & Resolutions for 2015

Happy 2015! Ah! How is it a brand New Year already? This past weekend I was surrounded by so many extraordinary wedding professionals at Bowties & Bubbly before heading to Virginia for the Creative at Heart Conference — And it was the breath of fresh air that I needed to get this year started on the right foot. I’m seriously in awe at the fact that so many amazing women are here to learn at Creative at Heart and I had an incredible time speaking yesterday… (You ladies rock my world!)

I’m excited for today’s post because it’s a bit different than in years past! I’m sharing three overarching goals and three big resolutions that I’m hoping to focus on in the New Year! Ah! Here we go –

Goals for 2015:

1) Write From the Heart More Often –
When I finished with my Rebrand last year, I made the conscious decision to switch my URL from nataliefrankephotography.com to nataliefranke.com for a few reasons. It’s simpler. It’s easier to remember. And it reflects the direction that this business is moving!

When I first bought my web domain, I did it as a photographer right out of high school. But as the years have passed, I feel like I’ve started to connect with so many of you on a personal level and I’ve grown into much more than just a girl with a camera. I’m a blogger, a writer, educator, wife, and a nautically obsessed twenty-something. It’s time to begin blogging more about my life so I can get to know more about your lives in return. I’m no longer ‘just the photographer’ and I want a blog (and website) that continues to reflect that!

2) Be more Efficient with Work & More Intentional at Home –
Each year in business allows you to grow, improve, and refine your skills! One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in the last year is my ability to be even more efficient in certain areas of my business (Workflow, Email, Album Design) so that I can spend more time serving my clients in the ways that I enjoy! Finishing my work sooner also allows me to spend more time with my friends + family, which I will be prioritizing in 2015! Yep, that means more intentional time with Huey, my Mom + Sister, and my best friends!

3) Travel, Explore, Live Outside of my Comfort Zone - 
One of my biggest goals next year is to get outside of my comfort zone and explore! I am most inspired when I’m photographing in new places and I am so excited to travel more this year! Currently I’ll be traveling to California, Hawaii, New Zealand, Jamaica, Las Vegas, St. John, and Charleston… all before April 1st! I’d really love to visit a National Park too before the year ends… or maybe we’ll make it up to Canada or Iceland? Ah! We shall see!

Resolutions:

1) Be Present. Put my Phone Away. Take a Hiatus from the Online World on Occasion.
I’m the first to admit that I have a slight social media obsession! I love jumping online to see what everyone is up to, celebrate in their successes, and share a bit of my own life along the way. But, the more time I invest online – the farther I often feel from things (and people) that really matter to me. Isn’t that crazy? That a device meant to bring us all closer can create these undeniable rifts between us? So in 2015 I will be taking a few Social Media Hiatuses to break from online living and fill my days with what truly matters… coffee dates with friends, cuddling with the pups, and being completely ‘device free’ with Huey on the weekend.

2) Take Charge Of My Health –
I never make excuses when it comes to my business. I have weddings edited in a week, emails answered daily, and there is always enough time to squeeze in a Skype call with a bride halfway around the world… but I never make time to go to the gym or cook healthy recipes. I consistently put the needs of others before my own and allow myself to make excuses in the process. And with the big 25th birthday just on the horizon, enough is enough. I need to make a change and prioritize my health. I know that things won’t change overnight, but this has been on my heart lately… and I’m ready to begin taking steps towards putting myself first again!

3) Join a ‘Recovering Perfectionists’ Support Group –
Okay, so the title is a bit silly… But I truthfully want to move forward and stop using Perfectionism as an excuse for Procrastination. So often I fail to share what I’m working on because, “it’s not perfect yet” and so many of those projects are pushed to the way-side.  And although I do believe that refining my work is important, there comes a point when I’m simply delaying for the sake of an unattainable ideal. I also feel like I put so many of my crazy big dreams on the back burner because I question whether I deserve, could achieve, or am worthy of accomplishing something… rather than just doing it!

Celebrating 2014: A Few Highlights

I spoke at my first mini break-out class at United in Santa Barbara and enjoyed Southern California with a few of my closest friends! Krista and I taught two Bayside Workshops and met some extraordinary girls that reminded my why I love teaching so very much. I won What’s Up? Weddings Photographer of the Year (what!? crazy!) and had the opportunity to photograph Editorials for Baltimore Bride Magazine, Enaura Bridal in New York City, and What’s Up Weddings. Huey and I took our honeymoon around Italy, enjoying wine + pasta the entire way! And I photographed a surprise proposal in Charleston just weeks before shooting my last wedding of the year in Jamaica.

It was truly an awesome year and I’m so incredibly grateful for each + every opportunity!

In just a few days I’ll be on a plane bound for California to see my sweet friend Katie before heading to Hawaii and New Zealand on the photographic adventure of a lifetime! I’ll be photographing Anniversary Sessions, Editorial Work, and capturing the entire trip for a possible future project! And I’ll be sharing all of our adventures along the way on Instagram! Be sure to join us over there to follow along!

What are your goals for 2015? Do we share anything on our lists?