Last year I did something I’ve never done before. In the fall of 2016 I was feeling very strongly that I needed some direction, that I needed to reel in a bit of the chaos I was feeling about photography and business. I found I was constantly saying “I just need to focus,” or if not saying it, I was thinking it. When I dove a little deeper I could see what was driving that thought. I was trying to do way too many things with no direction or reasoning. It was like I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if anything would stick, or make a difference.

I decided right then and there that 2017 would be a year of focus. I didn’t intentionally set out to declare a “word of the year” but it happened none the less and it made a HUGE difference! All year long I reviewed what the reasoning was behind the things I was doing, to ensure they were focused on a larger purpose. I started making decisions based on where I wanted to go rather than where I was. Centering my decisions around FOCUS helped me start to play the long game. Add to that my experience at The Signature Atelier in July, a trip I was able to book because I was focused on the forest instead of the trees, and I can feel my propellers kicking in!

Since having a word to center my work around worked so well last year, I decided I’d pick a word or theme for 2018 to build on all my success in 2017. With everything I learned over the past year, experiences I was able to have, it was easy to see the word right away.

Working in 2017 to grow from the inside out and giving myself the space to let things come to me, rather than diving head first into EVERYTHING before I even knew what it was I was throwing myself at, has allowed me to craft a vision for Degrees North Images. Now, armed with that vision, I’m going to focus my efforts on inspiring my followers, new friends, and community!

How did I come to choose inspire as my word? I’ve always had a desire for my business to serve a certain kind of client. I’m attracted to elopements, intimate weddings, themed weddings, Disney everything, destination weddings, old love, vacation sessions…but I was told early on this wasn’t going to pay the bills. But in the last two years I noticed all my Disney inspired weddings were getting tons of likes on Instagram and features on major blogs with one even going viral! I saw the same things with destination sessions and unique themed photo shoots that I planned. Not only were these things popular, they were lacking in the swamp of the internet AND people wanted more!

At a recent retreat, one of our speakers Mary Marantz said (and I’m paraphrasing) it’s okay to say the same things as everyone else, but only if you say them in a way that moves the conversation forward. I did a face palm. It’s so obvious, yet we hold ourselves back. So with that in mind, as I move through 2018, I’m going to make every effort to spark new conversations by doing exactly what I’ve always wanted to do!

And so as not to be cryptic, here are just a few goals I have in mind:
1) Inspire stressed out couples to consider an intimate wedding over a traditional wedding.
2) Inspire couples to plan the marriage day THEY want, not the one everyone else says they should have.
3) Inspire couples and families to seek out experiences instead of things.
4) Inspire couples and families to invest in their future by printing their photos. (Computers are where photos go to die amiright?!)
5) Inspire fellow small business owners to see that investing time in community can grow your business faster than competition.

So that’s the foundation for my year! What do you think? Do you have a word, phrase or mantra for 2018? Share it in the comments so I can cheer you on!