{a review of my} Goals for 2012

I have to laugh at all of the goals I set for myself mere days before having my second child. Boy was I ambitious. My goals for 2013 will be much simpler and broader, but I thought I'd do a quick review of what happened this last year.

Personal Goals:

• Adjust to having two kids
• Get back into running
• Choose to have time in The Word before doing my chores for the day
• Crochet for enjoyment (and put one thing in Etsy shop every month)
• Read!

Accomplished: 

• I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've adjusted to two kids, but after one year I do feel like I'm coming out of the fog and that our life is developing a rhythm. Thank goodness - that only took forever! 
• Thanks to my running buddies, Ryley and Susan, I've definitely gotten back into running. Even though our half marathon is over we're maintaining a weekly long run (6-7 miles) and I'm staying consistent with two shorter runs during the week.

Not Accomplished:

• Bible reading time has been practically non-existent. I will spare you the myriad of excuses.
• Crochet for enjoyment and for the Etsy shop - HA! Let's just say that the Etsy shop got the ax this month when in tears I just decided I couldn't do it all!
• Reading took a back burner this last year. I read 10 books. Here's to finding a little more time for self-enrichment and enjoyment in books this year!

Parenting Goals:

• Resume "preschool" sometime in/after March
• Choose to enjoy my boys OVER checking things off the to-do list (aka: play on the floor instead of clean)
• Once Cason gets into a semi-schedule, create a routine for our day using blocks of time (ie: morning wake time is for playing outside/walking, afternoon wake time is for reading/art, etc.)

Accomplished:

• I feel like I have sat on the floor more. Pushed the chores aside and just enjoyed time with my boys, watching them, delighting in them, marveling in them this year. That is life!

Not Accomplished:

• Resume preschool? I laugh at that now. Survive, feed my children three meals a day, get everyone in and out of the car safely. Those would have been better goals. I wasn't ready to even think about a preschool lesson all year.
• I would actually like to do a more rhythmic/structured day and week for us this year, even though I didn't get to it last year.

Household Goals:

• Continue once a month cooking
• Hang shelving in kitchen
• Finish activity corner with book case, toy bins, and activity rug
• Hang towel racks in bathroom
• Buy/sew curtains for at least one room in house

Accomplished:

• I started the freezer swap back in March and it has been the best thing ever!
• Shelves have been hung in the kitchen are are awesomely useful
• The activity corner is organized and wonderful
• I actually got curtains at Ikea for the boys' room and at West Elm for the living room!

Not Accomplished:

• Neither bathroom have towel racks. Maybe this year?

Blog Goals:

• Update the blog template
• Continue posting family recaps (but add a family picture each month), reading summaries, 3-in-30 goals & recap and favorite Delicious & Pinterest links each month
• Put correct dates on posts starting July 8, 2010
• Update & consolidate blog tags:
• Add correct "month x" tag to all posts starting July 8, 2010
• Add correct "week x" tag to all posts starting July 8, 2010
• Add "yearly family picture" tag
• Organize SmugMug albums by month/year and upload all old pictures for backup

Accomplished:

• The only monthly posts I kept up with were the family recaps (most months with photos) and the boys' monthly posts. Although now that I'm done with Cason's weekly photos/updates I might have time for other regular posts.

Not Accomplished:

• I'm doing good to blog. period. All of this other stuff is just peripheral right now.

Photography Goals:

• Book 2-4 photo shoots a month (starting in April)
• Open a business checking account
• Create a watermark action to speed up workflow
• Buy a set of actions for photoshop (TotallyRad, Kubota, Paint the Moon, or Formula One)
• Redesign blog/website
• Upgrade SmugMug to Pro account
• Create marketing materials:
• packaging (cds fromMillers, metal tins w/ stickers, 3 press panel card, etc.)
• thank you cards
• return labels
• business cards
• forms (contracts, model release, price list, packages, print release)
• Order the same photo from multiple labs to compare prints:
• Pounds
• WHCC
• MPIX
• Simple Color
• Walmart/Target/CVS
• Shutterfly/Snapfish
• Plan out specials/deals, mini-sessions, client gifts, etc. for the year:
• Mother's Day contest
• Spring mini-session (maybe in bluebonnets)
• Christmas in July special
• Winter mini-session
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal
• Create a "to-learn" list:
• color profiles
• using my external flash
• Kelby training
• continuous vs. single focus
• in-camera meter
• photoshop (using curves, dodge & burn)

Accomplished:

• I purchased and starting using RadLab earlier this year and it has been wonderful in helping me define my photography style as well as steam line my post-processing.
• I have business cards, forms, and return labels, but would love to finish designing my marketing packaging.

Not Accomplished:

• Can I just use the "I had two kids under two years old" excuse this year? It's really the best reasoning I have for all of things I didn't get done!