Time flies, doesn’t it? It seems like we were just celebrating Thanksgiving & Christmas. And it’s already here again?!

What’s that old saying? The days are long but the years are short. Every year they seem a little shorter to me. In the busyness of life . . . the kids’ activities, the emergency trips to the vet, the leak in the roof, the car breaking down, the client asking for a weeknight appointments, the hard drive that fails, the endless social media, the deadlines . . . it can be tough to make the best decisions on the fly. But having those decisions set in stone up front can make life a little easier. And I want to help you with that.

My hope for you this year is for you to be intentional about your photography business, your relationships and about life in general. A sure fire way to do that is to take some time to prep and plan for it.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to take you through my process of planning my year. And it all starts with looking backwards. You have to reflect before you can refine. We are going to make 3 very important lists today to help set some boundaries for your next year (and do a little dreaming too).

Why in the world do we need boundaries?

I talk a lot about this with my students inside Studio Secrets because boundaries are what keep us safe - and sane. We need boundaries for the same reasons we put our babies in pack ‘n plays, baby gates up at the stairs, fences around our yards and pools . . . to protect us.

I want your time and your energy protected this year. That time does fly, right? You need time for your family, time to work on your business, not just in it. You need time to rest, time to build your business and nurture the personal and professional relationships that are important to you.

Before we get started I want to tell you about something that we came up with behind the scenes over here. I am going to be hosting an Annual Planning Party that I am inviting you all to! Yep, I am going to walk you through planning your year.

This is all happening on Thursday, December 9th on a guided zoom call. I am limiting the number so that we can do the focused work together. If it sells out, I will open another date. You can grab your seat and pre-planning workbook at www.seniorstudiosuccess.com/planningparty.

Ok let’s get started.

Before you can make this list of yes’s and no’s moving forward, you need to think back over your year and evaluate it. This is the “What Went Right And What Went Wrong” list.

It’s pretty easy to remember the bad stuff, right? That’s natural and just the way we are wired. Sometimes it’s harder to remember the good stuff. So look back through your calendar and your client list to start jogging your memory. I bet you have a pretty long list after that exercise.

Now it’s time to dream.

If you could plan and put your perfect year into action, what would it look like? Get really specific here.

What would your mornings look like?
What would your evenings look like?
Where would you spend your time?
What would you be photographing?
And when would you be shooting?
How do you want your days to feel?
What sorts of fun things would you be doing?
Where would you go on vacation?
What new skills would you learn?
How would you live life if it were completely up to you?

Finally, it’s time for that YES / NO list for 2022.

Ok, you’ve done a lot of work so far. Now you can take all of those notes and start setting your boundaries for the year.

What are you saying no to this year?

What drains your energy?
What takes way more time than it should?
What are some things that another person could easily be doing to take the burden off of you?
What are you holding onto too tightly in your business?
Where will you draw the line with your clients?
What things can you put a stop to in order to protect your sanity and family this year?

What are you saying yes to this year?

What gives you life?
What sets you on fire?
What makes you most proud?
What do you absolutely love to do?
What are the things you know you need to be doing but haven’t had the time or made the time to do?
What matters most to you?
And at the end of next year, what will you want to be able to say you did?

Really think about each of those questions as you are making your lists. It may take a few times of returning to it before it’s final.

Once you have that YES / NO list I want you to put it somewhere that you can see it every day. Make a promise to yourself that you will stick by them because you want to be intentional with your time, with your business and with your families. Yep, you’ll compromise and you’ll fall off the wagon. Let me be the first to say that I do that a lot! No one is perfect. But this will set you up for one of the most intentional years yet in your business if you go through this exercise and remind yourself of your YES’S AND NO’S consistently.

Here’s to the best year yet! Can’t wait to continue this series with you next week. And hopefully get to plan your 2022 together at my first Annual Planning Party! Yay!! 🎉

* JOIN THE PARTY! *

If you struggle to know what to do when in your business, if you have a tough time planning or seeing the big picture for your life and business, come join me on Thursday, December 9th at my first Annual Planning Party for photographers!

Seats are limited.

If the first date fills up, I will open up another date :)

We will be planning session days, consult & sales days, content creation time, intentional growth time and personal time off to give you more work / life balance for 2022.

Be there or be square ;)