In 2019 our goal was to set boundaries, make routines and ultimately prioritize what is most important to us. Things needed to change and they did - in SUCH a good way. This included change for myself, our marriage, for my business, for our family and many other aspects of life.
This is the best I have felt in my business, ever. I have been able to let go of things, be more present in all aspects of my life (still progressing to where I want to be), dig deeper in relationships and our faith. I am so excited to be able to share these things with you because I want to encourage you to give up things to pursue other aspects of your business and life!
Let me also state that my goal is to SERVE more. I do love the back end of things (sometimes haha), but overall I want to SERVE and love on as many couples and families as much as I can . - I want to serve and impact others. That is where my heart is. All these changes allowed me to do that, even more so!
Editor. Now don’t freak out, I still edit! I only send galleries to be edited when I am swamped. But I will edit 25-50% of the gallery and she edits the rest to match what I already did. You couldn’t even tell the difference between the ones edited by me or her, even if you tried, because she is THAT good! In 2018, I was often editing at night, on the road between destinations, every second possible. So hiring an editor has been monumental for us. We have been able to spend more time together, implement business hours and overall has helped bring more balance. Hiring an editor has allowed me to serve more clients because I have more time.
Rain Dates. 99% of my sessions will have a rain date! When in the booking process, I like to go ahead and nail down a second date just in case we have to reschedule due to weather or a sickness. Implementing rain dates has been amazing. I am able to serve my clients so much better, it eliminates so much hassle of trying to scurry for another date. It also allows me not to overbook myself!
Social Media Manager. I am not using her too much now because I was able to get a hand on it finally, but Kristina Dowler was a God send in 2019. Not only did she help with social media but she helped with proof reading, my sounding board for ideas, researching and so much more! In order for me to grow my business I need to be more present on social media and she helped me get back on track with that. Now that I am doing better I am able to do this myself but I have to give her the credit for helping me get “back on my feet” in the social media world.
Accountant. As much as I love a budget, I hate this side of things. He is able to keep me straight with taxes and this is everything I needed because taxes scare me. Like terrify me.
Notifications. I have turned my phone, social media and email notifications off. The only time I get notified is if someone calls me! This has been so so good. It allows me to not worry about a email or notification that pops up.
Sundays off. This has been the best thing EVER!! Our Sunday starts with church at 8 (sometimes 10), heading to the grocery store together and then coming home. Occasionally we go visit family but try to keep a good balance of being home too. Running a business from home isn’t easy so adding this personal day in has been so helpful! While I do try to clean the house in the middle of week, I know that I will more than likely be home on Sundays to be able to do a good deep clean. I have also made it my laundry day and I love it! We also use it as a day to connect with each other, which has also been so monumental in our relationship! Overall, taking Sundays off has just proven how important taking a Sabbath day is, especially for us.
All of these things have played a role in boundary making. In 2018, I was taking on WAY too much and working my self WAY too much, so by giving things up I have been able to prioritize what is most important to us and prioritize what I love most and what brings me joy in my business.
If it was effective, I would be screaming all of this on the top of a mountain because that is how HUGE this was for our marriage, relationships, sanity (true!!) faith and literally every other aspect of life and I want that for you too!
I can’t wait to share what 2020 is going to look like for us!
