3:30am Reflections

As I'm sure you can guess by the title, this one's being written quite early in the morning. I have some work in the office that I really need to catch up on and since it has disrupted my sleep, I have decided to start the day early.

Each year in January, we take some time out to evaluate our business (where it's going, where we want it to go, marketing plans for the next year, ect.) and honestly it's a great time to also evaluate where our personal lives are as well. A friend of ours recently gave us some life questions which we have really taken to heart and have chosen to apply them to our business equally. Here are the questions (slightly modified).

1. Am I dying to myself daily?
2. Am I using my resources to glorify God?
3. Am I getting out of my comfort zone?

The first question for me is about serving others. We are in a service business and it is important to realize that our business as well as life, is not about us; remembering that we are hear to serve. If life is self-centered, we miss out on the real joys it can bring.

Secondly question, using my resources to glorify God. As photographers, we reach a large amount of people in a short period of time. We have our blogs, websites, emails and all kinds of modern technology to keep in touch with our clients and the world. It is important for us to reflect on how we use these resources. Do we only use them to bring in the next client?... or are we using them to build lasting relationships that are a real representation of who we are and who we want to be remembered as?

Last thought...the comfort zone. It's almost funny how afraid of change we can be. Stepping out of the box is not easy and I'm not sure if it will ever get easier. Each new venture a risk, yet, it is so important that we do some of the things which make us uncomfortable. Without it, how can we ever expect to grow?

Well, that's it, kind of a long one, but that's my thoughts for today. For all other pro photog's, I hope that this encourages you to stop and take time to think about how your are wanting your business and yourself represented as we run full-speed into another year. (As a side note, I'm so thankful for mac computers because it highlights every misspelled word as I type...cool!)