A New Beginning

January is always a good time to step back from life, take a look at where you have gotten yourself in the last twelve months, and look ahead at where you want to be going. I loved 2013, I really did. Having a toddler around the house really made the year fly by. We had our adventures and we were quite busy. Now that the year is over it feels like 2013 was a whirlwind of working out, playing hard, vacationing, and hours of freelance work, house work, and mom work. I don't regret any of it, but I am looking for something different from 2014. 

My word for this year is "Quality." I have been thinking long and hard about what I want and really, in the simplest form I can imagine, I want quality. This sort of hinges on the "less is more" cliche. I want to spend less time producing squalor in my life and take longer producing those things that really matter. 

I want to have more quality photos. This is one thing I am eager to work on. When it comes to capturing moments I usually stage them and plan to have my camera on hand. I want to tote my camera around more often in 2014 and use it to capture quality photos of quality moments. I want to fill our home with rich prints. Things I can be proud of. I also want to work on this with my iPhone. There are so many pictures just for the sake of having pictures on my phone. I know I can do better here. 

I want to produce quality work. In the past I have often settled when it comes to my work, arguing that they are getting what they pay for, or thinking that this is the best I can do. This year I don't want any of that nonsense. If I earn a job then by golly they will get my top quality work. My time and my talents are valuable and no one is allowed to diminish that; especially not me. I will charge what I deserve and I will only produce quality. 

Lastly, I want to spend quality time with my family. If there is one thing in my life I never want to change, it is the amount of time I spend with family. That time is never a waste, in my opinion. Sharing a space with loved ones has always been a top priority of mine, but this year I am focusing on making that time count. We defiantly spend "quantity" time with my family. I am over there at least twice a week. My mom calls/facetimes regularly. We have our weekend lunches. Most of the time we find ourselves parked in front of the T.V.That time can be better spent on some days. Also, when it comes to the in-laws, that time is pretty rare. It is difficult to get everyone together. When it does happen, I need to make the most of that time too. 

So what do you see happening for you in 2014? How do you go about making it happen?