For as much as I talk about my love of a freshness and keeping my life experience spontaneous, flexible, and free I also think it’s important to walk through life with clear intentions, goals, and a healthy dose of purpose too.
Which is why September is one of my favorite months of the year.
Not only is it a fresh start with the beginning of a new school year and the change of seasons, but it’s also a great time to begin the down slope to the end of the calendar year and start thinking about what you want the upcoming year to look like. Why wait until January when you can start the journey now?
So let me ask…
Where do you see yourself and your life 6 months from now? What would you like to accomplish in the new year ahead?
I’ll give you a minute to think…
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So many of us wait until December to dream up goals and plans and intentions for the new year. But you don’t have to. And my guess is you’ll have an easier transition into the new year if you start now.
When I created the Momtography™ LIVE class back in 2010 it wasn’t something I dreamed up overnight. I was on maternity leave with my little Miss Sunshine. I was getting the opportunity to practice my camera skills on my tiny little bundle of perfection. And I began to ponder what it might look like to combine my love of photography with my passion for teaching.
In October 2010 I decided I wanted to teach a class in 2011
But I didn’t wait until 2011 to create it and sell.
The reason I believe the class was a success was in part because I gave myself time to dream and space to slowly develop a curriculum and marketing plan that that I could test, tweak, and revise as I learned.
In February 2011 I actually stood up in front of my first group of 26 students and led them through the first Momtography™ LIVE class.
6 years later I’m still consistently teaching rooms women how to love their photos and their life.
Passion projects take time and nurturing to be brought to life.
I hear all the time from mom friends that they could never go after their passion project or big dreams because time is short, because they are so busy, because they aren’t ready. But what if the it wasn’t about any of that? What if the real reason you don’t go after your dreams is because you’re afraid to make the commitment, to consistently put yourself first, and allow the long burn of planning and preparation unfold.
The dreams most worth going after often aren’t born overnight.
As moms we know this. Our children are the perfect example. They are the ultimate passion project. We are pregnant for 9 months. And even then we spend our entire lives hoping we’re instilling values that will transform them into successful adults.
What about our health? We also know that transforming our bodies doesn’t happen overnight. When I ran my first 5k it took months of training and consistent practice to run even a mile without losing my breath. That first running journey I began one cool November morning and I didn’t run my first race until March.
All of these projects has taught me important lessons about how I approach life. Here are some of my favorite lessons I’ve taken away when it comes to planning to bring a new passion projects into the world:
Research is not commitment
I used to shy away from even researching my dream life for fear that even looking was a commitment I wasn’t ready for. I used to fear the idea that my research would be the thing that changed everything about our life. And it did. But not everything we research has to turn into something we say YES to right away. When our family decided we weren’t in love with our home anymore it took us 2 years of research to find the home that was perfectly suited for our needs. We looked at homes way under our budget, way over our budget, old farmhouses, new construction. You name it we walked through it. Many of those homes were NOs but they taught us what we didn’t like so when the YES was in front of us we knew without a doubt that we were ready to commit.
Not every plan will lead to success
Sometimes we plan and commit and walk down one road only to realize it’s not taking us exactly where we want to go. Before I began this business I tried a few others: Creative Memories Rep, Mark Kay Consultant, Family Photographer to name a few. I knew I wanted the entrepreneurial journey and I made a plan that supported that. But none of those first businesses were the right one. But, they taught me a ton about myself and what I actually DID want in the future.
Fear of success is real
Oftentimes our default reaction to big dreams is a fear of failure. We don’t want to be perceived as weak or unsuccessful. But hidden under that can also be a fear of success. Being successful ups the stakes of commitment. It can change your life from your schedule to your confidence to your relationships. It’s important to plan for what happens if you fail. But it’s even more important to also have a plan for if you succeed!
Now let me ask my question from earlier a slightly different way…
What project would you start today to be where you see yourself and your life 6 months from now?
I’ve been working behind the scenes lately with women around the globe ready to step up their planning and bring a Momtography™ business into the world. They are spending 4 months in a training program learning how to teach LIVE classes in their cities and towns and claiming a project that allows them to start their own business in the year ahead.
Curious to meet them? To see if there’s a Momtography™ LIVE class in your city? To learn more about the training program and if it might be the perfect passion project to add into your life? Get all the details HERE.