Win $50 Gift Certificates to MCP by Sharing Your New Year’s Resolutions
When I awoke today, in a bed at my parents’ house in Atlanta, where we are visiting, I started thinking… What will my resolutions be this year. I have some personal and professional goals for this upcoming year. Call them goals, call them resolutions, call them things to accomplish.
For personal resolutions, I resolve to get back to the gym 4-5 days a week (along with hundreds of millions of others). I just went to a new endocrinologist and plan to work with her to sort out my thyroid and monitor other potential health issues.
As far as family resolutions, I plan to put down the computer more when my kids or husband are around. I am so passionate about my work developing Photoshop actions, blogging and teaching photographers through my MCP Actions business. It is wonderful to love what you do but not at the expense of family. I use the phrases “in a minute” or “when I am done with this email” far too often. In this upcoming year, I am going to try very hard to finish my work between 9-4pm, other than the occasional nighttime Photoshop Workshop.
As for professional resolutions, I just launched my new website. This was a 2009 resolution. The new blog design did not quite make it, so that will move into a 2010 goal (sooner than later). I will continue blogging 5+ days a week, with informative content, fun contests, and more.
I resolve to spend less time on email in 2010. Email is part of my business, but I need to realize that I cannot answer every photography or Photoshop question. I now have a FAQs in place on my website, as well as many resources listed throughout. I will add to these as needed, as well as address other FAQs in monthly blog posts.
My new website will help me focus on development instead of fulfillment. This should allow me to create and launch a few new Photoshop action sets for 2010. I may have some products for Elements users too, as I have hired someone to work with me in this arena.
If I cannot accomplish everything, I resolve to either “let it go” or re-work how I do things. I may look at outsourcing or hiring contractors if needed.
THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION CONTEST
Enough on my resolutions. What are yours? Share at least one personal and one professional goal/resolution you have for 2010. To qualify, you must enter these in the comment section of this post on the MCP Blog (NOT on Facebook or Twitter as those comments cannot be integrated).
This contest is a quick one – you have until Midnight eastern time on New Year’s Eve (so just over 14 hours to get your posts in).
Winners will be picked on New Year’s Day.
Please tweet, blog about and/or post to Facebook to let others know of this fun contest. The more that participate the more prizes available.
Prizes: For every 100 comments – one $50 gift certificate for the MCP Actions Store (good for Photoshop actions and purchases over $50) will be given away.
Next Post: 3 Winners of the New Year’s Resolution Contest
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I resolve to make better food more often for my family by thinking and planning ahead. Not so much throw something together while the kids whine in hunger at my feet.
For my business I resolve to be as clear as possible in my communications by developing better marketing and business materials most of which will be shared electronically with my clients to save paper.
I plan on shooting and posting a photo everyday in an effort to learn something new and push my skills. Even after 30 years, I can still learn new tricks and I want to motivate myself and others to push the comfort zone.
for 2010 I resolve to
stay on top of editing
1) welcome my baby brother home from Afghanistan – Safe and Sound
2) give my family 110%
3) give my business 110%
4) not take everything so personal
5) tell my loved ones each and every day that I love them
6) learn to play hockey
7) help anyone who needs help
9) live life
10) not drive myself nuts if I don’t accomplish everything – but go to bed happy each and every night and wake up with a smile!
I resolve to eat less, exercise more, and spend less time on the computer when my kids are home. Like right now!
My new years resolution is to achieve balance. I am a 40-hr/week engineer, photographer whenever I find the time, mother, wife, cook, runner, seamstress, scrapbooker, etc, etc. I strive to achieve balance with all of these in 2010!
My biggest resolution is to get healthier. I’ve got to start eating better and exercising more!
Thanks for the contest!
My new years resolution is to learn how to be a better photographer, both behind the camera and in front of the computer!
To be on the internet a lot less, enjoy my family more, and let my body relax so that hopefully I can get pregnant this next year!
Personal resolution: To not be so hard on myself when things don’t go as I planned. Professional resolution: To give my business even more energy, creativity and passion in 2010 as I did in 2009.
Personally, I too, am going to stop spending so much time on the computer and try to soak up and ENJOY the moments with my kids. They are 1 and 3, and I’m really over the itty bitty kid phase. I am hoping I can learn to love watching that airplane fly around the playroom for the 1,200,420,384th time.
Professionally, I hope to start spending less TIME with each image. Figure out how to do this faster and consistently. And stop giving more than 100 images per session. I can’t keep that up. Even if I have to get my husband to be the one to choose the 40 I do. : )
Professionally, I plan to use info from your recent blog post to develop a business plan. I need to work smarter, not harder.
Personally, I need to get back to exercising regularaly. Longs hours and heavy equipment for wedding photography makes this a necessity!
Wow – there are a lot of great 2010 goals!
One of my gazillion goals for 2010 is to explore my inner must creative person and capture a new, unique and inspiring image everyday than write a post about it on my blog. I’m calling it: 1 Camera + 365 Days = Unlimited Possibilities!
Can’t wait – I start tomorrow!
Jodi- I recall emailing you about your desire to spend more time with family and your hubby- and this is still my goal as well. What a wonderful resolution to start off the year with- keeping family our priority over our businesses! Praying your resolution to do so will be a success! Blessings for a wonderful 2010!
I suppose you can call it a resolution, though I always consider them goals: I will once again shoot every day in 2010. I would consider that both a personal and a professional goal. I also plan to get more exercise.
Keeping it simple with no more fast food! Mcdonalds filet o fish has been getting the best of me! Happy new year!
Personal: Get off my a$$ and try to work out once in awhile.
Okay so three times a week is SOO necessary. 
Professional: Book 10 weddings for 2010! I’m a newbie, so it maybe a lofty goal but I’m shootin for it!
Well, my goals are pretty much the same every year, only I do feel more positive and hopeful this year. 2010 – it’s such a good number, right? Top of my list is working out more and eventually be a runner this year; organize my photos and be done with it ( I tend to get sidetracked with this one); and to take more photos of my daily family life – perfect or not – I just want the memories to look back on.
Fun contest!
Personal Goals include: PHB (“Project Honeymoon Body”) with my husband, spend more time connecting with old friends, do more random acts of kindness. Professional Goals include: Shooting 10 weddings in 2010, attending a photography workshop, learning to use off camera flash
Best wishes to all for a prosperous and healthy 2010!!!
I love making new year’s resolutions .
Personal ones: Cook more, take time to relax, and grow an herb garden.
Professional: Be productive at my real job, and make time for photography hobby.
My goal this year is to simplify my life to what truly matters. That means I need to slow down and fix healthy meals, take the time to exercise, make small routines to keep my house in order and enjoy playing with my two little boys. Professionally, I will price my time as valuable, try not to take too much on and keep inspired and thinking creatively in my work.
Fun! My personal goal is still related to photography. To do more with the many images of have of family and friends. They get pushed to the side as I work on client galleries… but I want to have albums for my own family too!!! My goal for 2010 is to hire someone to help me with administrative side of my business so I can focus more on shooting and editing… the parts I love! Happy New Year everyone!
Great Contest Jodie!
I have spoke with my husband and we have together decided that with the new year we are going to try to be closer to God. We have been so far away from him for so long and it is time we took an honest step in making him the major part of our lives. With the plan of having a another child added to our family its time we got our spiritual life straight so that we can be good models for our children.
My professional and personal goals are connected this year. My goal is to get organized both at home and in the office – I need to get organized to reduce my anxiety so that I know things are under control. I want to enjoy spending time with my kids and doing my hobbies without worrying that I’ve misplaced something important or failed to complete a task!
New Year’s Resolutions are to RELAX and let things come as they may. Whether I agonize or not I have no control over certain things.
My personal goal this year is to find things to do everyday that i love and am passionate about. I want to make sure that this year is filled with things that will enrich my life.
My professional goal is to shoot (preferably with a paying client, lol) at least once every week. This is my first year of business, so i’m going to have to work hard!
Personal: To lose some weight and kick the caffeine habit…again…sigh….
Professional: To kick my photography business into high gear, especially the studio work.
I’ve had 4 kids in 5 years so I’m ready to lose this baby weight! Business goal is to get the foundation of my business solid before I take on too many clients!
My personal resolution consists of taking some time for myself! I will give all the time needed for my grandbaby and one son still at home but for once in my life I need to remember not to always put my self last. My business resolution is to do more powerful marketing to reach out to a larger area with my studio.
Personal goal: Like many of you… loose this muffin top that I have goin’ on. And my business related goal would be to get to know my camera better so that I can shoot outside on manual.
New Years Resolutions: (personal) to have a baby (professional) to blog at least 3 times a week. I’m excited about both.
Personal: Spend more time with my family. Spoil my wife more.
Professional: Like my job.
Lose that 25 pounds I’ve been talking about losing for the last 3 years. this.is.the.year! Learn to use my camera & upgrade my glass, need at least one better lens this year!
Thanks for having your blog and sharing all things wonderful on here. I just discovered PS and your blog not too long ago. I’m not a pro at taking pics so this has been a huge help! My new year’s resolution will be to get more involved with my kids and enjoy the little moments! Oh and to buy a new camera!!
Happy New Years to everyone!
My New Year’s “goal” for this year is to open a new business! Personally, I like to make more time for my wife and kids.
I have LOVED following your blog! My resolution is to get to bed at a decent time (so many photos to edit!) and to have some more patience with my kiddos!
A professional goal is to answer all client emails within 24 hours. A personal goal is to get my credit card paid off.
Happy new year!
I don’t strictly believe in New Year’s Resolutions, but there’s a particular solidarity in looking towards the future with hope and determination to improve and do better. This year for us is to be the year of order, where the things that deserve priority get priority, and things that don’t are let slide. Happy New Year to all.
Personal resolution: spend more time playing with the kids, less time working and editing (I guess that was a little of a professional one too).
Professional: Be more proficient in administrative skills… setting aside one day a week to keep up.
I would lobe to win this, I love your actions.
This year I have resolved to do a 365project.
For 2009, I plan to make the leap into starting my photography business. I think I am ready. Thanks for all of your amazing actions, which help to make my photography even better!
My personal New Year’s resolution is to get more comfortable in my own skin & just be grateful with what I was born with. My professional resolution is to get serious about my business and stop doing things for free. I am worth what I charge and more.
Oooh, resolutions – I’ve been working on a list!
Personal – lose 15 lbs – I plan on accomplishing this by cutting soda out of my diet and committing myself to daily walks.
Professional – build a new website for my gallery, join a local photography group, really work on the “craft” of photography – through books, magazines, and online resources, and make it through a 365-photo-a-day project.
My personal resolution is: to start attending church regularly and to set and follow a family budget. My professional resolution is to: upgrade my camera and to raise my prices. =)
My resolutions this year are to practice my photography more and to believe in myself as a photographer. Oh, and also not to get annoyed at my husband so much! LOL
i’ll resolve to exercise every day but break it two weeks in. i’ll resolve to not buy that pair of fabulous red heels that i don’t need but buy them anyway. i’ll resolve not to drink too much wine or eat too much chocolate, but who am i kidding? what i will do, is i’ll live in the now, i’ll not regret the past, and i’ll continue to make mistakes in the future. after a tough 2009, i’ve learned life is way too short not to enjoy it! welcome, 2010!
new years goals ….. well of course like everyone else to get into shape …. to work on getting caught up on editing the pics I have taken in 2008 and 2009 and get them printed into albums …… do project 52 for 2010 either in just my blog or in an album…. and just to be a little more organized
Personal goals for 2010 are to pay off both car loans (we can do it!), make at least 3 blog posts a week on my personal blog, and start a Family Cooking Night with my husband and kids one night a week for dinner.
Professional goals for 2010 include learning to use and feel confident with my flash, and to earn enough money to buy a back up camera body.
My goals are………..to stay positive while going through my cancer treatments. When I have good days, to work on my business. To get to where I can schedule shoots again. To photograph my new grand-daughter more…..not just in-studio.
Appreciate my wonderful and supportive husband every day! Get my personal project orders in to my lab!
I just have one – to live in the moments and stop rushing.
My goal this coming year is to be a better mother. I feel the same way about being on the computer too much, so I better get off this thing now!
Well I consider my birthday my new year, that is when I make goals and evaluate the past year, bizarre? Maybe.
A big one for me is to spend more time with the kids versus the computer and to learn to be myself instead of what others want me to be.
My New Year’s Resolutions: Finish getting my business up and running and stop forgetting to fill out the correct paper work on time, yikes!!! On a personal note, workout, workout, workout….and not beat my self up if I’m just not a good as I used to be about it!
My New Year’s personal resolution is to get all the “junk” out of the house (ie. extra things that are just collecting dust and sitting in piles – no more piles!). I also want to get back into shape (like many people say this time of year). Professionally, this year I want to master Photoshop (well, at least from a photography needs stand point) and figure out exactly how those color curves work!
I also need to figure out how to process my photoshoots more efficiently. Thanks for all your help, Jodi! Both your blog & website have been quite helpful and inspiring… keep up the great work in 2010!! 
This year, I resolve to earn enough with my photography to buy a new camera. Personally, I resolve to get more of a set schedule and menu plan for our family. My husband will be working a regular schedule for the first time in 6 years and that should make it so much easier!
My personal resolution – to smile more
My professional resolution – to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, such as creating bokeh photos and also different textures on top of my photos.
My New Year’s Resolutions:
1) Study my Bible more
2) Do yoga weekly
3) Set up a more organized home routine
I have a few New Year’s Resolutions. I would like to be a much better son and treat my parents with more respect. I also want to continue to develop my photography skills and try to learn something new each day. Lastly, I too want to make a better effort in going to the gym at least 4 times a week. Thanks Jodi for all your photography advice and actions!
My new years resoluation is to not be so lazy in terms of housework, and to pick up the camera more during the ‘little’ moments, and try not to let them pass me by.
My personal goal is to continue exercising and to eat healthier. My professional (and personal) goal is to get a better balance in my life between work and everything else…especially my family. I work full-time and do photography part-time so unfortunately my family often gets the left overs so I hope to balance that better in 2010.
Professional resolution is to put the final touches on the website early in the year.
Personal resolution, spend more time in the gym, and walk outside every day that it’s not icy!
My number one resolution is to be more thankful. To find something everyday that I can be grateful for and write it down in my journal!
I was thinking about this this morning too and I thought how cliche mine sounded, but oh well, it’s good for me to reevaluate my goals each year, why not at New Years. My personal goal is to join the gym and get some energy back. My professional goals are lofty and with small children seem hard to find balance, but I’d love to develop my brand and be more profitable in 2010. Thanks for all your tips and your sharing spirit.
personal: I want to accomplish my most important things of the day first so that I won’t look back at the end of the day and wonder what I did that meant anything..time with God, Children
professional: I want to be more organized!!!
My personal resolution is to lose 30 pounds … and professionally the first is to do a website re-design and get back on the blogging bandwagon!
I have many resolutions…
I suppose the main goal for 2010 is to find my purpose and thrive in it. I feel as if I’ve been dancing around the edge of happiness, afraid to fully dive in. well, look out 2010, because I’m jumping!
This upcoming year my resolutions are to stop procrastinating and to also organize my time better… I want to do better marketing so that I can rely more on my photography than my other job…
I resolve to make 2010 a year of health, positivity and productivity. I resolve to do something kind for someone every single day without expecting anything in return and to encourage my family to do the same.
Love this giveaway!!! My resolutions are… To cut down on the amount of sugar I consume (because I’m definitely addicted!) and one of my business related resolutions is to work on building a relationship with at least two OB offices in my area to see if I can start leaving promo cards and eventually display my photography. Wish me luck!
To make a new website and get off the computer more when my children are home. I do the same thing like just a minute or after just one more email. I do not want to do that this new year. I also need to stop eating holiday cookies and candy.
My New Year’s resolution personally is to become more organized. Professionally I would like to overcome my fears of using photoshop.
Personal: To spend more time working on my running. My goal is to run a full 5K in under 40 minutes. I know it’s not much to some but it’s alot to me.
Professional: To finish my schooling and launch my photography business in earnest. Use my skills to give back to the community, as well.
Some of my personal resolutions are to lose weight, to get to bed earlier and to spend less time on the computer. Professionally I need to organise my photos and digi stuff and procrastinate less about getting projects off the ground.
My new year resolution falls along the same lines as yours regarding personal health. I NEED to get back in the gym. The only time I seem to be able to do this is early morning so that will have to be it. Waking up at 5am to get to the gym by 5:30 five mornings a week. My professional goal would just be to to have more of an understanding of Lightroom.
personal: I would like to spend more time with my kids and not work as much…my husband is a fireman and I dispatch at night for a medical helicopter and my daughter (6) told me that me and her daddy are “opposites” when he is at work I am home and when I am at work my husband is at home which meant that with our schedules we are rarely home at the same time…so I want to work on that it melted my heart when she said that….professional: I want to learn how to manage better workflow so it doesnt take as long to edit pictures and also save up for my d700!!
Personal Goal: To remember the great and amazing things in my life especially when negativity is worming it’s way into my mind. To love lots and laugh often. To walk more and get in better shape.
Professional: To always strive to improve my photography skills, to work more on marketing and branding, and to always give 100% of who I am when working with people.
Happy New Year everyone, may your 2010 ROCK!
My goals for 2010 are to spend more quality and learningh time with my daughter, to close in and finish off a part of my basement so that I can give a bedroom back to my house, fill that bedroom with (God willing) another healthy and happy child, and take more classes, shoot with other photographers, and overall never stop learning!
My personal and Biz goal are both very similar. 2009 was a bad year for myself and my children personally, and my photog biz took a back burner to that. My goal/resolution, is to re-organize both. Out with the old in with the new!!! In our everyday life ~ our lives can only get better than what they were. Professionally, I vow to get more organized and keep on track as well re-invent my biz. I figure if I re-organize both personal and professional, I’d be more apt to keep up with both.. hopefully I won’t have the disorganization of one messing up the other this year hehe.
Happy new year!!!
My personal goal is to spend less time working and more time with my daughter during the day. I, too, get stuck in a rut of ‘in a minute’. I resolve to do that a LOT less. My professional goal is to get my business off the ground this year. I’ve got a lot of ideas popping around in this head of mine and need to get them out and in action. SO excited about 2010!!
My personal New Years resolution would be to get my butt in shape and change my diet! My resolution for my photography business would be to get my marketing into gear and expand my clientele.
As for a personal goal/resolution, I would really like to reduce my stress level in 2010. Through deaths, surgeries, unhappy environments and sleepless nights, I have found myself extremely stressed out. I will change my diet a bit, exercise more, and find better outlets for my bad days. As for a professional goal/resolution, I am hoping to have more photo sessions and be able to blog about them. I want to get my business off the ground. My hope is 2 clients/shoots a month and I want to blog at least 3 times a week – even if it’s about personal things. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Happy New Years to you and your family!
personal goal- I, too, am hitting the pavement and/or the exercise videos, etc.
professional goal- get my bradning decided on and pull everything together!
happy new year!
My new years resolution this year will be to start helping my daughter more with her marketing part of her photographer business and learn more about editing in photoshop so she can focus more on her clients and sessions. My personal would be get back to the gym more than once a week, lol.
1)Personal Resolution: to slooooow down & not cram so much in my schedule so that I can breathe, and notice those around me more…to appreciate the irreplaceable relationships in my life 2) Photography Business: to study art – especially paintings and sculpture by visiting galleries, museums & learning about the old masters; By doing this I think I will develop my eye for light & creative posing.
Thank you!!!
My personal resolution is to be healthier and buy a house =) My professional goal is to try and get my name out more this yr. Im really bad about passing out business cards
My goal this year would be to learn more about manual settings and try my hand in doing studio work.
My personal goal is to drop 2 pant sizes so I can feel better about myself. My professional one is to work on a photo book of Senegal when we move there this upcoming year. Thank you for the chance to enter in this give away and for all that you do in sharing your tips and tricks with the rest of us.
Personal: Try harder to get my five a day of veggies and fruits.
Professional: Develop a better workflow. Spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the camera!
My New Years resolution is to run my first ever 1/2 marathon, the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, on February 27th. I have personally never run more than 8 miles so this will be a major victory for me. I have lost over 50 lbs in the last six months and am looking forward to a healthy 2010!
My New Years resolution is to run my first ever 1/2 marathon, the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, on February 27th. I have personally never run more than 8 miles so this will be a major victory for me. I have lost over 50 lbs in the last six months and am looking forward to a healthy 2010!
Forgot to mention a professional resolution… It is to work on my marketing skills this year. I have not had to do any advertising in my first year of business but am moving to a new area and starting from the ground up. I will need to learn how to market my business!
Personal goal: To survive my daughter’s wedding. I vow to not get into petty arguments with her and let her do what she wants. This goal may be a bit too lofty, but I will try! hehe
Pro goal: To at least double what I did in 2009!
My personal new year’s resolution is to start saving money to be able to afford invitro so me and my husband can hopefully start a family before we leave our current duty station overseas.
My professional goal is to finish my master’s degree in Elementary Education and to start taking photography courses to better myself in photography so hopefully someday I can do this as a job.
I intend to fully utilize Photoshop CS4 in 2010 since I paid so much money to purchase it in 2009!
to be content… be happy where I am and with what im doing. Live Love and Laugh more
1. Personal: Get organized! As in lists, schedules, and sticking to it. So not my personality.
2. Professional: Get organized! As in lists, schedules, set work hours. And sticking to it. So not my personality.
I realized I need to do this to stay focused, stay balanced, and to get more done.
3. Fun one: Spend more time surfing and getting better at it.
My “resolutions” are much the same as most of the people here.
1) Spend more time with my family, and less with my computer. (A good friend of ours just lost her baby at 6 months pregnant yesterday and is spending today in the hospital giving birth to her son, and it made me realize that I take all the screaming and yelling, kicking, hitting, hugs and kisses for granted…Made me realize that they are growing up too fast, and NOTHING in my world should be more important than they are).
2) Grow my photography business. I have a great grasp of the technical stuff and after a year of practicing, I am ready for some business to come my way!!
3) Since my youngest is two, I think it *might* be time to lose the “baby weight”… LOL.
ALL THE BEST IN 2010 Jodi!!
Love your actions, they are the only ones I own. And I use them on every photo….THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME TIME and helping my photos look pretty!!
Lisa
In 2010, I hope to finish more things I start! Professionally it is following up with staff development, working with classes and takIng care of the constant odds and ends projects that seem to multiply when ignored for a day or two. Personally it is taking time for PSE projects & pottery. : )
I really enjoy your tips, blogs and postings! Here’s to a great 2010!
OOOO wouldn’t this be great to ring in the New Year?! I have only one personal resolution and that is to get back on my treadmill! My professional is to get out and take more pictures, it doesn’t matter who’s watching.
I have two personal and two professional goals. Personal: Make better choices about food and exercise to become habit so I can get within a healthy weight range. Also, become more organized. Not organized = stress = cranky mommy and wife. My kids and hubby are more deserving of a happy me. Professional: Enter print judging to improve my photography. And start working towards becoming a Certified Professional Photographer. I may not become a CPP in 2010, but I want a solid foundation to get it in 2011.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve! (I hope I didn’t double post. Computer froze up first time I hit “reply”.)
My professional (and personal) resoloution is to block off time to be with family and not let this job seep into every aspect of my life! Gotta find the balance!
My personal resoloution is to learn to let go and to stop over analyzing everything in my life.
My resolutions include: launching a much needed new website, taking more control of my work hours by keeping my work more between 9-5 except of course for shooting, giving more in terms of charity and to my family and including more exercise. And most important more travel. Happy New Year and thanks Jodi for all of your generosity and hard work!