Planning Your Best Photography Year Yet!
The Power of Goal Setting
When I first started my photography journey, a wise owl shared some advice with me: “You should plan some goals. Think about what you want to achieve in the short term, but also consider where you see your life and dreams in five or ten years.”
At the time, I didn’t really take this up. I carried on my photography learning journey, bumbling along without much direction. But when several other people repeated the same advice, I thought—hang on, maybe they’re onto something!
The start of a new year often feels like the perfect time to reset and tackle new challenges. For me, it’s become a quiet, reflective period—a chance to step back, take stock and plan.
Equine Photographer
As an equine photographer, my work is pretty seasonal. In the deep winter months, when horses have thick, woolly coats and the ground is either covered with mud or deep snow, the requests for portrait sessions are low. But, I’ve come to see these months as a gift. Having a chance to pause from the hustle and bustle, allows me to plan and set my personal goals for the year ahead. It’s a time to map out where I want my photography journey to take me next and align my efforts with my long-term goals.
Recently, I completed an ILM Mentoring qualification with The British School of Coaching, and one area that became very clear was that goal setting was a game-changer. It plays a huge part in encouraging learning, adding a focus and setting targets to achieve. But it’s also a great tool for showing your progression and providing an opportunity to see if you’re on the right track.
Goal setting is equally powerful when I’m mentoring others. It can give the mentee clarity and help them celebrate wins they might not have even noticed. Sometimes, people don’t realise just how close they are to smashing a goal— and they just need a little encouragement to cross the finish line. And for those who aren’t as close? It can be an honest check-in that shows what they’ll need to do to get there.
Setting your goals
Everyone is different, so your goals should be your own. No one else’s timeline matters here. Firstly, take your time and figure out what you want to achieve.
One tool I swear by is the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It’s simple, but it works
