Wow that was a fast month. I still have my Christmas tree up. No joke. Granted I took the ornaments down a few weeks ago, but I haven’t managed to muster up the strength to actually take it apart, pack it into my car, and carry it downstairs to my parents basement. Good thing I’m much more motivated in other areas of my life…

Which takes me to my monthly goals recap and goals for February. Let’s see how I did –

Goals for January

1. Finish assembling sample album/print it.

– SUCCESS! This has actually been done for a while now – I think I completed it within the first week of January. It’s gorg. I love it. I’ll be blogging about it soon – stay tuned.

2. Create an itemized list of all expenses from 2012 for each event.

– SUCCESS! I actually thought I forgot about this one and started writing, “Ooops…” but then I remembered I did it in early January. It’s not completely finalized since I haven’t had a wedding to run through it, but for the most part – it exists.

3. Set up an appointment with an accountant to go over all financials.

– NOT a success. (I couldn’t bring myself to write out FAIL because that doesn’t make me feel very good.) I’ve been pushing this back to February for quite some time now, but I might wait until the end of the year when going full-time photog might seem more realistic.

4. Order new personalized flash drives and packaging.

– SUCCESS! I LOVE these and I can’t wait to send them out to clients. Check them out here.

5. Snowboard at least twice.

– SUCCESS! Even though I completely forgot this was a goal, I managed to snowboard twice! Once at Alpine and again this past weekend at Devil’s Head. Perfect because our annual snowboard/ski trip is in just a few weeks.

DANGIT! The ONE MONTH I didn’t make “Work Out” as a goal I actually do it! I actually didn’t realize I didn’t set it as a goal either. I’ve been so excited to write about how I actually have been working out 3-5 times a week the entire month. And now I don’t get to check it off my list. Haha, maybe I shouldn’t make it a goal for next month either and I’ll actually stick to it. Well, I’m still proud of myself. It’s sadly the longest period of time I’ve worked out consistently since before wedding season 2012. I think I only made it a week during the busy time last year. Maybe I can keep it going this year…

Ok, this is kind of a rambling blog post I just realized (I’m blaming it on the fact that I can’t even hear myself think. The apartment above mine last night leaked dish washer fluid into my apartment so now we have these HUGE industrial fans/humidifiers going. Suffice to say, it’s a little hard to form sentences right now let alone write an entire blog post.

Anyways, I’ll wrap it up since I’m a little scatter brained right now. But first let’s check in on my bigger goals for the year:

BIG Goals for 2013.

1. Book 10 weddings (only a few more to go!)

– Still need 3 more but I have 2 pending brides and 4 consults over the weekend so hopefully I can achieve this soon!

2. Sell at least 2 Wedding Albums.

– I’ve had some interest, but no bites yet.

3. Finalize my business plan and keep track of all financials more efficiently.

– Working on it.

4. Have one wedding published by a wedding blog (theKnot, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, etc.) by the end of the year.

– ACHIEVED!!! Style Me Pretty Illinois actually featured Jackie + Mark’s Engagement Session a few weeks ago! Now all I need is a full wedding

5. Purchase the following equipment by the end of the year: Canon 5D Mark iii, 85mm 1.2L, 135mm f/2, Think Tank Rolling Travelling Bag, and mayyyyyybe a 70-200 f/2.8L

– Well I just decided to get the 5D Mark ii instead of the iii so I think I’ll stick with that for the most part. I also purchased a 580ex which I’m super excited about. Next up on the purchase list? Probably the Think Tank Rolling Travelling Bag – birthday present? hint hint 😉

OKAY – Finally, goals for February.

1. Keep this working out streak going for 2 months straight.

2. Book 3 out of the 6 open weddings I have.

3. Submit an Engagement Session to be published.

4. Plan Danny the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER, ha. Seriously though, this guy puts up with a lot – he deserves nothing less.

5. Plan a photog date with at least one new friend in the industry. I’m looking at you Ryan Moore.

Phew. If you made it through that blog, thank you. That was a long one. BUT, more from the Wedding Inspirations Blog Series coming next week so check back for something a little more thought through 🙂