Well I’m still sitting on my couch, celebrating day three of a cold. All this being cooped up has gotten me daydreaming pretty hard. In my experience it seems that taking accounts of personal achievements usually makes a person feel better, and at this point I’m definitely ready to feel better… even if it’s only mentally. With that, I’m going to reflect on five accomplishments of the first three months of 2019, and how I’ll continue to build on them this year.
Paid off truck. To be fair, I picked it up for a pretty good deal and didn’t owe a whole lot from the get-go. It’s the third vehicle I’ve owned and managed to pay off all around the duration of a year, which only reassures me that my money management is still smart enough to pay off debts and still manage to do what I want in life. As good as the old Red Dragon has been to me, I’m looking to upgrade to something with a little more capabilities, with family and exploration being more important to me now than ever. So fair warning: probably more overland adventures this year.
Bought a house. Woah, nelly... this one still gets me! I was so nervous to do it, but now that it’s done I don’t know why it seemed so scary. It’s actually pretty exciting to have the freedom to customize a piece of property to suit my needs and express myself. Dang, I don’t think I’ve ever said something so adult… To ease my own mind, I like to think of it like a big, giant version of the little forts I used to make as a kid. Now just way more upgraded! Already we’ve gotten four rooms updated, with only a few more things on the to-do list before spring rolls around and we move to the outdoor projects. Never thought owning a house could be fun, but here we are.
First corporate headshot event. This one was a shocker for me. Prior to this event, I had only shot a handful of corporate functions, and had never done a headshot event. I was already familiar with my lighting setup but had never put it to use for an event. When the time came, somehow I felt totally prepared. I didn’t feel a lack of confidence like I’ve had in the past, and I actually had a lot of fun with it. I got to meet some wonderful people and give them some photos that I was pretty darn proud of. I think I’d like to keep following this path a ways and see where the corporate photography world takes me. Who am I to say I know where the opportunities lie?
Finished first quarter of 2019 with a 4.0. On paper, a PSNS apprenticeship doesn’t mean much. Most students don’t take it seriously and only do the bare minimum to scrape by and pass. Well it means more than that to me. I’ve used it as an opportunity to challenge myself as a student and see how well I can do. I don’t believe in half-assing things, especially if it’s something I care about. I’ve managed to average a 3.9 GPA and score top of my class in multiple subjects throughout my apprenticeship. With only one quarter ahead of me before I graduate, I plan on it being my strongest quarter yet. Once that last quarter is over and done with, I plan on continuing attendance to OC to gain skills in other areas of personal interest to prepare myself for more future plans. I’m not done yet.
Monthly goal planning is back on track. I’ve got a specific set of goals in mind for 2019. Beyond that I set monthly goals, all which feed into timely succession of my yearly goals. I lost my way with monthly goal planning for a while, and I’m glad to be consistent with it again. Seeing them posted on my calendar every day helps remind me of what lies ahead and how I’m going to make things happen. It’s a hell of a feeling to set a big goal and achieve it ahead of schedule because I stuck to a plan and didn’t make excuses.
Sometimes I feel like it’s easier to put myself down and think about all the things I haven’t done, or all the times I could have done better. It’s a good thing to take the time every once in a while to focus on the things we have accomplished and all the times we have surprised ourselves. I know I don’t do it enough, but it’s something I’m going to bring forward with me as I continue to reach my milestones.
There will always be achievements and failures in life. The goal is allowing the achievements to propel us forward without letting the failures hold us back.
