An Update on 101 in 1001

Hard to believe that we're already HALF way through the fourth month of the year! I feel like 2012 is FLYING by and I can barely keep up! Every day seems to go faster than the next, but that's life I suppose! It was for this exact reason that I started my 101 in 1001 list. Life just goes by so quickly and without some planning or goal setting the days turn into years and suddenly you find yourself wondering why you didn't accomplish the all things you wished you had!

When I first sat down to write out this list I never thought that I'd cross off some of these goals so soon! This is after all a multi-year goal list! But, I suppose, that is the power of writing it all down. There is an accountability in it and it's a huge motivation factor for me! If you haven't started a 101 in 1001 do it today! Even it's something as simple as five things you'd like to achieve in the next five months, don't be afraid to write it down!

Here are some of the fun things we've done already this year:)

12. Revamp The Bookworm Club. started on 1.18.2012

19. Purchase a new used car, preferably a CRV !!completed on 3.07.2012

44.Make a Date Night package for each month for a whole year for Dave:) completed on 1.1.2012

64.Become an LLC. completed on 1.1.2012

75.Go on a Cruise for the first time.completed on 4.1.2012

77.Upgrade my second camera body (either 5d Mark II or the Mark IV) completed on 1.31.2012

80. Sell or give away old equipment I'm not using. completed on 1.16.2012

89. Spend the weekend at Church Landing in Meredith, New Hampshire.completed on 2.12.2012

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101 in 1001 : New To Me

EEEKKK. I can't believe I am writing this post! Because I thought for sure that it would take us a LOT longer to get to this point. A brand new (new to me) car?! It's so pretty! I can't contain my excitement. I keep telling Dave, "I'm living in the lap of luxury" to which he replies "It's the standard version Debbie... nothing special here." But to me it is. Locks that work, a car clock that works, no rust, lights that turn off, a trunk that opens and closes, a steering wheel that turns when you want it to, tires that don't deflate. All of those things are special to me. This is the first car that I've bought on my own. (ok we bought it together!:)), but you know what I mean. There is a sense of pride that comes from researching and picking out a car, finding a good deal then haggling, and eventually driving it off the lot. I suddenly feel like a real adult! I have my own grown up car!  And it's so shiny and pretty and...

This was our old car. Our clunker who did as well. It had almost 200,000 miles on it and it was STILL truckin' along when we traded it in. This car saw us through a few floods (remember 2006?), my job as a news photographer where I drove 100 miles a day, an apartment then a house, a new dog and a then it got a rest when I started working from home. The car salesmen told us we owed money to this car, and we sure did. Good bye old friend, you were good to us.

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Welcome this car! Isn't it so shiny and pretty?! I'm wondering what this car will see us through:)

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If you've been following along with the 101 in 1001 I hope you are starting to see the power of making lists and setting goals! I was a believer before but honestly I never thought we'd be checking off these things now, only three months into 2012! It's been boggling my mind just how powerful setting goals is! It really is an impetus to making things happen!

101 in 1001 : Church Landing

It's kind of hard to believe how many things I have been able to cross of my 101 in 1001 since last month when I first posted about it. Quite honestly I thought some of things would be far off in the future or just too far out of reach. But I guess that's the power in spelling out your dreams. When you finally find the courage to say the things your heart desires, things just start to happen. This past weekend Dave and I spent a few days at Church Landing in Meredith New Hampshire. A few years ago we stumbled upon this hotel while planning a vacation close to home. The minute we first pulled up to the Inn, I melted. For whatever reason, this place immediately stole my heart. We spent the week here and enjoyed every minute of our stay. We loved it so much that we practically begged his sister to get married here, which they did:)! Ever since we have been dying to get back and the hubster made it happen this past weekend! As we sat in the outdoor pool, snow flakes gently falling through the air, I had a moment of "I can't believe this." I truly couldn't believe that we were able to do this. To steal a weekend away together, to be able to afford such a beautiful hotel to stay in. So many emotions floated around in that pool with us that it was almost overwhelming. But, just like he always does, Dave pulled me close and told me to breath. To enjoy our time together, to not worry about all of the reasons why we shouldn't be there, but just to enjoy the fact that we were. We were blessed to have everything fall into place so that we could go. Instead of worrying about the why not, I should be thankful for the present.

My goal on my 101 in 1001 list was to spend the weekend at Church Landing, and I never thought in a million years we'd be able to do that SO soon. But we did and had a fabulous weekend! But that's not the only time I'll be back to Church Landing this year. In fact, I'll be photographing a beautiful wedding there in September, a dream come true. I guess that's the power in putting it out there. And believe you me, I've never been the dreamer kind of person. I'm practicable and consistent and I've never truly given myself permission to just dream, big or small. But I've found that once you let go of expectations and just truly believe for the future, amazing things start. I being overly dramatic about a hotel? Probably. But there is a bigger picture.

If you've never allowed yourself to dream, to go after that life you don't think you deserve, take a moment today to step back. Say it out loud. In you car, in your room, at your computer. Say it to the wind, to God, to your dog. Just speak it out loud. Realize the power in accepting what's on your heart and believing for it. Who knows what life will bring. Your dream may not come true, but that's not the important part. Allowing yourself to open up to possibilities, to the what if, filling your heart and mind with faith, is what counts. That is what builds you up, moves you forward and fills your life. So take a moment today to say it out loud, speak your dream. Amazing things will start to happen. A good lesson for me to remember, every day.

101 in 1001 : A 5d Mark II and a Lesson Learned

I happily ordered a new backup body, another 5d Mark II, a few weeks ago and eve more happily crossed off one of my 101 in 1001 goals! It was such a great feeling knowing that my backup body was the same body that I used on the wedding day. What a relief knowing that if anything happened to my main camera, I'd have another waiting in the wings. What I didn't realize was that would be put to the test at my very first wedding of 2012! Right as I walked out of our hotel room, my two bodies collided every so slightly but at just the right angle. I didn't think anything of it and proceeded up stairs to the bridal suite. But when I went to photograph the suite sign I noticed something that made my heart drop to the floor.  A giant crack on my LCD screen.

I started to internally panic, thank goodness the bride wasn't there because I had few minutes of freak out as I ran around the room trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully I remembered that I had two working bodies and immediately started photographing the details with my second body, which I had purchased for this exact reason! When my second shooter arrived, she took over and I tested out my camera to make sure it still worked. Luckily it did and I could use both cameras through out the day. But believe you me, I learned my lesson.

I've often heard people talk about making sure you have backup equipment. And if you don't own it, you should rent it. I've always believed them, but since I've never had a problem, I never gave it a second thought. But after this past Saturday I realized that it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Your equipment is going to fail and you need to be prepared for it. You cannot stay to your bride, I can't photograph your wedding because I damaged my camera. You just can't.

So learn a lesson from me. If you don't have the funds to purchase a new camera body, then rent one. Always make sure that you have two. Because you never know what will happen. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

Thankfully this story has a happy ending. I was able to photograph the wedding and I've sent my camera off to Canon to be taken care of. I'm happy knowing that I made the investment in my business and for my brides.

101 in 1001: Date Night

When I started to put pen to paper and create a 101 in 1001 list, I had my fair share of business related goals. Re-branding, launch a new website, shoot 20+ weddings, host a workshop, work with industry leaders. But sprinkled amidst all of those lofty business goals were more humble, personal goals. Goals that included my husband, my dog, my family. Goals that will feed my soul and strengthen my marriage. And I couldn't wait to start working on them!

One of those goals was to create a yearly date night package for Dave. I tried thinking about how to best pull this together and came up with a monthly date night coupon. I put the coupons in individually labeled envelopes and gave them to Dave for Christmas. In each envelope is a date tailored just for him. Some are elaborate, some are simple, some cost money, some are free. But each date is geared specifically to his interests and favorite things. I had so much fun coming up with ideas and having opened up two months so far (January and February) it's even more exciting to stand there and watch as Dave reads them and beams from ear to ear.

There are just a few simple rules. I do the planning and we have to open them up the month before to ensure that we schedule it on the calendar. With schedules as busy as ours and with our natural tendency to sit on the couch and watch too many hours of tv, these date nights ensure that we make time for each other.

I also can't have any say in what we do. This definitely proved to be a challenge already. Our first date was dinner at his favorite pub followed by a movie of his choice. Well my first order of chicken wings had a piece of hair in it and watching the movie he chose was like enduring torture. But this was HIS date and there was no place for my selfishness or opinions. Ok ok, I might have complained a little bit, but I tried to limit my opinions and complaints to a minimum :-P What was most important was serving my husband by giving him the permission to spend our money and our time on the things that he enjoys. For all that he does to provide for me, protect me and support me, I think I can endure a bad movie and hairy chicken wings to show him that I love him.

After almost six years of marriage, finding unique ways to communicate our love for each other is important. The honeymoon period is over, but that doesn't mean the fun and exploration of each other is. I'm so thankful that we get to spend the next year enjoying each other, having fun and reigniting out dating life! I encourage you to find ways to reconnect with your spouse or significant other this year. Whether that is a monthly date, a vacation away or a time each week dedicated to each other, show that person you love just how much they mean to you. Our time is the currency of our life, spend it wisely:).

101 in 1001

101 in 1001

January 4, 2012 to October 1, 2014

I love lists. Lists, lists, lists. Lists of tasks, lists of goals, lists of dreams, lists of chores, grocery lists, honey-do lists. You name it, I've probably made a list of out it. And since I'm not one for New Years resolutions (I'm not one for keeping them either;)) I make lists. Lists of goals and dreams for the coming year. For the past two years I've shared these lists here on the blog (here and here) and it's been fun being able to go back and see just how far I've come! So as 2012 approached I started in on my list for the New Year. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to create a list that was bigger than before. Something that would challenge me. A list of goals and dreams that were far reaching. I wanted a list that would stretch my ability to dream big (and small).

So I decided to make a 101 in 1001 list. 101 goals in 1001 days. (1001 is just shy of three years) I first heard of this idea from other photographers that I follow: Melissa Jill, Karen Stott,  and Gail Werner (Take a look at their lists for inspiration. It's so fun to see the goals and dreams of other people and even more inspiring to see them being checked off and accomplished!)

Last spring I had the opportunity to attend a mentor session with Justin and Mary. I was supposed to come with my BHAGs, (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). And I came up with a puny little list.  Mary encouraged me think bigger, dream bigger and get specific. Ugh, I thought I had! But she was right. If I was going to set goals for the future, in order to be able to accomplish them, I had to know exactly what I was reaching for! And so as I thought about my 101 in 1001 list I kept her wisdom in mind. If these are my BHAGS, my big, hairy, audacious goals for the future then I needed to get specific! And I needed to not be afraid to say them out loud (or write them down as it were). So I did it, I wrote down the dreams of my heart. Without fear and with hope that I will accomplish what I've set out to do!

A lot could change in the next two plus years. My outlook on life could be drastically different and the goals and dreams I have today for the future could change.  But that's ok. I have a vision for where I want to be and with God's help and tweaking I plan on marching forward:)

I'd encourage you to take this journey with me and make your own 101 in 1001 list. Let's hold each other accountable to our dreams and to accomplishing our goals, big or small:)! Is there something you want to achieve? Is there a dream you want to see fulfilled? (Here's a calculator that you can use to calculate your end date) Write your 101 in 1001 down and start today!

Who knows what life will bring in the next two years or so, but I can tell you that I am super excited to find out!

Here's to dreaming!

1. Launch new Branding. This was top secret until hubby got me an iPhone case for Christmas that has my new logo on it. He put the case on my phone and I can't figure out how to get it off LOL! Well the details at least are on a "need to know basis" :) 2. Launch new website to fit with branding. 3. Launch new blog to fit with branding. so, so, SO excited about this project! 4. Travel back to Hawaii to photograph a wedding in Kauai. 5. Travel back to Europe to photograph a wedding in England, Scotland or Austria. 6. Have a Baby! Wheeeee!! 7. Create an online site for new clients as a welcome tool. 8. Visit our friends in Turkey. 9. Visit our friends in Austin, TX. 10. Run the Disney World Half Marathon or a Half Marathon. 11. Post once a week on the forums I belong to for three months straight (stole this from Gail Werner's list. I've been trying unsuccessfully to do this for months, so I'm writing it down here!) 12. Revamp The Bookworm Club. started on 1.18.2012 13. Join PPA and CPS. 14. Add a giving/charity component to my business, possibly with Thirst Relief or Gateway to Nepal. 15. Be published in a major Bridal magazine such as Brides, The Knot, Southern Weddings. 16. Be published on Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Southern Weddings or another national wedding blog. 17. Begin a mentorship program for photographers. 18. Speak publicly about something I am passionate about. Possibly at a workshop or P31 retreat. 19. Purchase a new used car, preferably a CRV !! completed on 3.07.2012 20. Decide whether or not to move to New Hampshire. 21. Cook dinner once a week for my Husband for a month. 22. Book 20-25 weddings a year. 23. Streamline my workflow and create a business manual. 24. See the Grand Canyon. 25. Landscape our front and back yard. 26. Own a pair of Frye boots. 28. Have a promo video made. 29. Go to Vancouver/Portland/visit the Northwest. 30. Visit 10 states I have never been too. 31. Improve Client packaging to match new branding and have a luxurious, custom feel. 32. Go on a girl's vacation to someplace warm with my besties. 33. Host a small workshop or retreat for women photographers, possibly for married photographers. 34. Pay for meal/drink/coffee of the person behind me at the drive through. At least once. 35. Create a travel photography site to sell prints. 36. Do three styled shoots with my favorite vendors. 37. Participate in a running club or boot camp program. 38. Implement and finish a DIY project for our home. 39. Second shoot a wedding for a photographer who lives outside of New England. 40. Hire a trainer to help Maya learn to not be afraid...of Dave. 41. Paint and revamp our fireplace. 42. Get a new laptop. 43. Revamp our bedroom. 44. Make a Date Night package for each month for a whole year for Dave:) -- completed on 1.1.2012 45. Visit California again. This time SoCal. 46. Be asked to write a guest blog post on a wedding blog or another photographers blog. 47. Go Karaoking, for the first time. 48. Find a photography/business/life mentor who can speak into my life. 49. Find someone who I can mentor and encourage. 50. Spend the whole day at the spa! (Without being intimidated;)) 51. Reach my goal weight of 1_0 and maintain it. 52. Take a self portrait once a month for a year. 53. Conquer my fear of flying. 54. Display our wedding vows in a meaningful way. 55. Make mom an album of our wedding. 56. Wake up with the hubby every work day for a whole month. 57. Revamp the living room/kitchen. 58. Revamp the dining room. 59. Shoot a gun (what?:)) 60. See a real live Moose. 61. Hike another 4,000 ft mountain with Dave (I want to help him cross that off his list!) 62. Revamp the downstairs bathroom. 63. Print images from Hawaii and other travels. 64. Become an LLC. completed on 1.1.2012 65. Have lunch with one of my photography heroes. 67. Have a consistent editing style. Use more color and better light. 68. Splurge and purchase a pair of Louboutins. Better yet, be surprised with a pair of Louboutins. Wink, wink ;) 69. Revamp my wedding day wardrobe. 70. Read all of the New Testament. 71. Read all of the Old Testament. 72. See another Broadway show. 73. Spend the weekend in NYC with my mom. 74. Go to Disney World. For the fifty millionth time :-) 75. Go on a Cruise for the first time. completed on 4.1.2012 76. Be published in a regional Bridal magazine like Seacoast Bride or WellWed. 77. Upgrade my second camera body (either 5d Mark II or the Mark IV) completed on 1.31.2012 78. Complete the P90x Program. 79. Create a better Twitter presence. 80. Sell or give away old equipment I'm not using. completed on 1.16.2012 81. Buy lunch for Katelyn James and Karen Stott and Jody Gray and Mary Marantz and Erin Youngren and Ginny Corbett and maybe some other fabulous photog lady friends. All together perhaps?:)! 82. Lead a homeless ministry again with the husband or just be a part of an outreach ministry. 83. Work with an intern who can help out with office details so I can concentrate on growing the business. Anyone interested?:) 84. Work with an assistant on the wedding day who can help carry bags, set up lighting, hold reflectors and shoot a little. Anyone interested?:) 85. Relive our wedding night by spending the weekend at The Custom House in Boston. Nothing like a mini vacation in your own backyard:)! 86. Buy Dave a double cab Toyota Tacoma (or truck of choice :)) 87. Travel to a warm state to run a road race. 88. Purchase a road bike and help my hubby get back into biking. 89. Spend the weekend at Church Landing in Meredith, New Hampshire. completed on 2.12.2012 90. Redesign my engagement ring and wedding band. 91. Go to another Patriots game. Play offs?:)! 92. Go on a road trip with the Husband through the South. 93. Visit Glacier National Park. 94. Attend a show at Fashion Week in NYC with Tricia. 95. Purchase a Kate Spade bag. And shoes. And dress.... 97. Ride a zip line, even though I'm TERRIFIED with even the thought of it! 98. **At first I had written road trip through the South twice. Now I am leaving this slot open! 99. Finish and blog my office. 101. And since we'll be over there, visit New Zealand.

** UPDATED TO ADD: Here is the original site from the person who created the 101 in 1001 idea:) **