November Monthly Goals

“Hi! How are you doing?” — It’s such a common question that we often respond with automatic phrases, without thinking about the words coming out of our mouths. I do my best to answer as honestly as possible when asked this question, even if the person asking meant it as a greeting. My response lately has been, “We’re doing really well, actually! We’re so thankful!” And I truly mean it— this year has been so full of sweet surprises, joyful moments, and happy transitions, and my heart feels happy and content most of the time. But then I hear myself talking about our life. I listen to the insanity that I’m describing, and I feel the tension creeping up the back of my neck, and I blink the tears back from my eyes, and I remember that 2016 has also been a very, very hard year.

You guys, motherhood is challenging. Working motherhood is blindingly hard. I don’t think there are words to describe the squeeze in my chest or phantom ache in my arms when I hand London over to our (absolutely wonderful, loving, and trustworthy) nanny and walk out the door for the day. I didn’t expect myself to want to pace the halls at Church on Sunday with my fussy baby after spending 12+ hours on my feet at a wedding the day before (and not getting to bed until 2am). I didn’t plan for our marriage to take three times as much work and be twice as hard to prioritize. I had no idea how much my husband’s work travel would affect my ability to function as a human being. I didn’t anticipate how work+motherhood+marriage+travel would make it hard to stay in touch with friends.

And you know what? Most of the time my heart is so full of the blessings and joys and overwhelming graces that this season holds, that I forget how hard it has been. My body remembers the stress (I’ve been sick eight times in the past seven months, and I desperately need a chiropractic adjustment or a massage. or both), but my heart is full is content and optimistic. Buck and I are still madly in love with each other. Date nights are more of a rarity these days, but when we get them, we beam like we’re each others’ high school crush, and it’s wonderful. London is a ray of sunshine, even on her fussiest days, and I still pinch myself that I get to be her Mama. Work is still progressing forward (in spite of bare-bones functionality this year), and we’re still dreaming up big plans for the future of Sarah Bradshaw Photography in 2017 and beyond.

That’s most of life, though, right? So good, so hard, so beyond our control. Thankful for “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

Now on to November goals. 🙂

I achieved so many of my October goals, both personal (joined a gym, drank lots of water, took time off when Buck was off, enjoyed a winery day, spent time with girlfriends, went on a double date, often went to bed by 10pm) and business (found an office assistant, wrote talk for C@H, delivered all sessions in queue). Still, I left many big goals undone, but hey… that’s what off season is for. I have four weddings left this year, and Buck will be away for a total 5 weeks over the next two months, so I’m trying to set realistic expectations.

November Goals, business:

Office assistant in office!
List unused photography equipment for sale
Write out my client experience and evaluate “touch points”
Speak at Creative at Heart!!
Write out an “ideal world” job description for myself
Finish reading Entreleadership
Blog 12 times this month
Deliver 6 albums
Deliver all weddings (3) and portrait sessions (4) currently in queue
Attend one networking event
Start client Christmas gift process!!

 

November Goals, personal:

Work out 3x/week (at gym or at home)
Drink 90+ oz of water per day
Finish reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Kon-Mari bathroom and hall closet
Spend time with two “couple friends”
Journal 2x per week
Take time off when Buck has time off
Be in bed by 10pm every night
Time with girlfriends while Buck is away
Thanksgiving at home (and take Danaher Family Photo!)
Cut Christmas tree and decorate
Mail Christmas cards!!