One day at a time

I work from home as a photographer. My office is my couch, my kitchen table, my desk in my actual office, (although most days it's too messy to see the top of the desk). Sometimes my office is at Starbucks and my absolute favorite place to "work" is when I'm actually shooting a session because my office can be anywhere! I purposefully don't plan shoots everyday so that I will have just days when I am at home working. I have tried shooting in the morning, then coming home to edit but most days when I get out of the house (meaning, when I'm dressed for the day), I want to seize the opportunity. I'll run errands, go visit a friend or go see my nephews who live close by. So I plan several stay at home days where my main focus is just to edit a recent session, promote my business, make client phone calls, etc.

On these particular days I'm doing spectacularly if I shower and put on an "outfit" of some sort. Most of the time, I'll throw on my yoga pants and a baggy tshirt, grab a cup of coffee and head for my spot on the couch. The days when I miraculously put on makeup, earrings, and cute shoes, I usually document it. (And you know this if you follow me on Instagram. View my Instagram pics.) Side note:: It really is a marvelous app. It can take an average looking person & with the right editing make you look (or at least feel like you look) like a million bucks. It really is a good job for me, not only because I truly feel like I have found my passion, but because the structure of the job itself fits my personality. I "structure" the days how I want. Sounds like a dream huh? Yes, it is definitely my dream job (no offense to my former job which I LOVED by the way and still miss all the people I worked with). But in the last (almost) two years, I have found things to not be so clear cut.

You see, I'm not a planner. If I could live my life minute to minute, I would. I love being spontaneous and often times impractical (according to my wonderful husband). So many times, I will get an idea in my head, grab Buie's arm and say "Oh let's go do this! RIGHT NOW!" Whatever it may be...it doesn't really matter because according to Buie, it wasn't in the "plan" for that evening. There are times when planning is crucial- like when you get married. Of course, you have to plan your wedding or if you have a wedding planner for a mother like I did, you just let her do everything. :) B and I make plans for date nights. We plan family trips, doctor appointments, time hanging out with our friends. I have learned to plan... a little anyway.

There is a certain amount of planning that goes into owning a business. I plan client photo sessions. I schedule time in my days to edit their pictures in order to return them in a timely manner. All of this takes planning. Heck I never imagined that I, the person who can't do simple addition in her head, would be the one paying the bills in our family. I am in charge of the finances for not only our household but also my business. Yeah, if you know me at all, then you are probably laughing, especially my math teachers.

The point is, I fail all the time at the things I "planned" to do. Two out of the four animals that we have were seriously overdue for their vaccinations...until today, that is. Our garage looks like a tornado went through it. I've had plans to organize it for years now. The power steering fluid has been low in my car for weeks. To make a sharp turn, I practically have to break my arm to turn the wheel. Yeah I know it's not safe but I don't think about it until I make a sharp turn and it takes me two hands to turn the wheel.

So why am I ranting about my failures? Who knows maybe I thought it would make me feel better. The truth is Im a laid back easy going person. I think this is why I dont stress too much over the things not done. I know it will eventually get done. (Side note: This system does not work well in college. When professors say they want a paper turned in by 5pm, they actually mean 5pm, not the next morning or the next week) But these days, in the early stages of my business, if I can get through the day having done one more thing on my "to do" list in addition to editing, promoting, ordering products, emailing clients, etc., I feel good about myself.

I'm still trying to find that balance. I will never be a super organized, rigid planning type of gal and that's okay with me.

I'm taking it one day at a time.

Wednesday I went for a walk with Scooter at Two Rivers Bridge Park, something Ive been meaning to do for a while now. Yesterday I bought pumpkins and decorated my front porch. Today I did a load of laundry, a few dishes and took the cats to the vet. One day at a time, people. Maybe one day I'll hire myself an assistant. Wouldn't that be a dream? But until then, I'll just dream of having a marked off to do list. (yeah, right!) Its a good thing I love my job.