101 Goals in 1001 Days

I am a list  maker.

I enjoy order and efficiency and I love the feeling of ‘checking things off my list’.  Its a sense of accomplishment, a sense of purpose, and a way to measure the way I’ve spent my time.  In fact, I love putting things on my monthly calendar, because when I look back on it at the end of the month, I can physically see the way I’ve spent my last 30 days.  I feel amazing when I’m busy and get things done.

So it makes sense that I would eventually incorporate lists into my photography career.  As a newbie who is trying to built a photography business from the ground up, I think my goals in a list form will really provide me with focus and purpose in the coming three years.

The inspiration for the 101 goals in 1001 days came from reading two posts by Denver area photographers R.J. Kern (Kern Photo) and Amanda Tipton (Kokoro Photo). Being new to the area, I’m slowly trying to learn about (and hopefully meet!) other wedding photographers and the two of them seem like fun people with great photographic work.  I like the idea of updating my list as I accomplish my goals, and sharing the final products with photographic proof when possible.

I completed my list on May 12, so my 1001 days will expire on Saturday,  February 7, 2015.

You’ll see that this list has mostly photography components to it as this is the area that I have the biggest goals to work towards, but there are plenty of other personal goals (both fun and serious!) to reach.  I hope you enjoy following along as much as I enjoy attempting to accomplish my goals.

101 Goals in 1001 Days: Green Blossom Edition
Completion date: Saturday, February 7, 2015

1. Launch blogsite (Check! You’re reading it :))
2. Blog twice a week for a year (52/52 – check! See the recap here)
3. Write inspiration posts for blog (Check! See them here, here, and here)
4. Write FAQ’s for blogsite (Check! See it here)
5. Write a kick-ass ‘About Me’ section for blogsite (Check! See it here)
6. Enter a photo contest (Check!  Read about my first experience here)
7. Contact a local gallery about selling my work
8. Create a business card (Check! See it here and round two here)
9. Create a marketing postcard (Check! See our 2013 efforts here)
10. Consult with a lawyer to create a contract (check!)
11. Sign up for liability insurance (Check!)
12. Open a business bank account (Check! Read about the business process here)
13. Shoot a wedding as a second photographer (check! See the results here)
14. Purchase a full frame camera (Check!)
15. Purchase a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens
16. Purchase a 70-200mm g/2.8 lens
17. Try out a new lighting technique (check!  See the video light post here)
18. Photograph a wedding with my wife (check! See the partnership here)
19. Photograph a same-sex wedding (check! See the first one here)
20. Advertise in a publication geared for same-sex couples (Check! See our Out Front ad here)
21. Photograph a newborn baby
22. Get portraits taken of me (Check! See the photos by Mary Maranz here)
23. Attend a photography class/ workshop (Check! See the results here)
24. Attend a wedding photography class/ workshop (check!  See which one I chose here)
25. Purchase an iMac (Check!)
26. Purchase CS6 or Lightroom (Check!)
27. Join a photography organization (Check! Check out the Betties here)
28. Subscribe to a photography magazine (Check! See which one I chose, here)
29. Subscribe to a wedding magazine
30. Attend a bridal show
31. Host a booth at a bridal show (Check!  We did the NotWedding in 2014)
32. Go to a photography conference (Check!  Read about my WPPI Exploits here and here)
33. Photograph a gymnastics meet (Check! See the three 2013 meets here, here, and here!)
34. Photograph an elite gymnastics meet
35. Photograph a destination wedding
36. Eat a whole lobster
37. Have a wedding featured on Style Me Pretty
38. Buy a car (Check! See the new turbo here)
39. Buy a house (check!)
40. Have our first child
41. Give birth naturally
42. Have maternity photos taken
43. Hike the Grand Canyon
44. Go to Hawaii (check! See the fabulous trip here, here, here, and here)
45. Take my wife on a surprise vacation
46. Print gallery wrap canvases for our nursery
47. Photograph a boudoir shoot
48. Finish scrapbooking our wedding album (Check! See it here)
49. Complete 365 Day photo project (Check! See the recaps for September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and the final review)
50. Have a 365 Day photo project party
51. Publish an ad in a local bridal magazine
52. Go to the 2015 gymnastics world championships
53. Purchase a monitor calibrator (Check!)
54. Go to an equipment try-out at the Denver Zoo
55. Go to the Denver Museum of Science and Nature (check!  See the Pompeii exhibit here)
56. Visit Mesa Verda (Check!  See the amazing trip here and here)
57. Climb a 14,000 foot mountain
58. Cook every recipe in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook (24/131) (See the progress here, here, here, here, and here)
59. Finish transferring my gymnastics VHS tapes to DVD (Check!  A 5 year project is finished here)
60. Take voice lessons
61. Join a yoga and spinning studio (Check! Its a regular gym, but it counts!)
62. Join a volleyball league (check!)
63. Pay off our credit card debt
64. Buy a dresser (Check! See the DIY project here)
65. Complete the Red Rocks fitness challenge
66. Get a massage
67. Have a spa day with my mom
68. Buy a bike with a basket
69. Knit a blanket for our baby
70. Grow my own herbs
71. Print photographs for my wife’s office (Check!  See them on location here.)
72. Attend a concert at Red Rocks (check! See and listen to some music here.)
73. Take a 3-day backpacking trip
74. Host a dinner party complete with stylish table decorations
75. Go on a business planning retreat
76. Create a cozy and inspiring office space (Check!)
77. Evaluate 101 goals and progress throughout the year (check!  1 year review is here)
78. Photograph a stylized photo shoot for fun and experience (Check! See the fun creation here)
79. Visit a natural hot springs
80. Start figure modeling again
81. Learn off camera lighting set-up with wireless remote (Check!)
82. Create a list of photography blogs I follow and check weekly (Check! See it here)
83. Introduce myself to photography bloggers I follow (Check! Read about it here)
84. Find photoshop plug-ins I like (Check! See them here)
85. Define my photographic style (Check! Catch a glimpse here)
86. Photograph a wedding at the Denver Botanic Gardens (Check! See the beauty here)
87. Purchase a pair of Vibrum 5 fingers (check! See the new skeletoes here)
88. Run a 5K race in Vibrum 5 fingers
89. Visit the 4 corners (Check!  See the magical location here)
90. Go on a wine tour
91. Have lunch with a local wedding photographer whose work I admire
92. Make monkey bread
93. Do a photoshoot with headpieces from Dani Hansen’s ‘From Sprout to Out’ collection
94. Go horseback riding
95. Print my own greeting cards as family Christmas gifts (Check! See them here)
96. Go on a 30-mile bike riding adventure
97. Purchase a case of Chenin Blanc from Goosecross Vineyards
98. Go apple picking
99. Make a dessert from a Martha Stewart recipe (Check!  See it here)
100. Go on a 10 mile-run
101. Make my own ice cream (check! yum, yum)