It’s my birthday! This is 27…
Today is my birthday! 🥳 Yes, right in the middle of the weirdest week of the year. The time between Christmas and New Years when nobody knows what day it is or what they are supposed to be doing.
There are plenty of cons about having a birthday at this time of year, but the one pro is that I get to set my new years resolutions and my goals for another year of life at the same time. This time of year always make me feel poetic!
Once upon a time my friend Stephanie and I declared “This is our year!” at the start of the year, and it quickly spiraled into a series of unfortunate events. We quickly learned to never say that again, haha! But I do abide my the rule of having your “best year yet". And while I know that every year will not be the best ever, I believe their is good things in every year, and more importantly I believe that your mindset and goals should always aspire to move forward with growth. After all, "Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power" - Shirley MacLaine.
With that being said, I wanted to write this blog post today to set some intentions for a new year. If you’re the type of person that likes to set goals for yourself at your birthday or at the start of the year, I’d love for you to read along! If not, this is just a letter for future-me to look back on one day. 😊
1. Tenacity, Determination, Perseverance
It may seem delusional sometimes, but I was blessed with mindset that any thought that pops into my head is achievable. Notice I did not say easy, but I do believe that anything is possible if I work hard enough for it. This mindset was tested while finishing my Master’s degree this year, but conquering that challenge only fueled the belief. So as I walk from the graduation stage and into a new phase and year of life, I’m taking that determination with me. I want these three words to set an underlying tone for the year as I press towards my goals.
2. Focus on the Things that Matter
The last few years from the pandemic, to wedding planning, to newlywed life, and grad school my focus has had to shift to whatever the major task at hand was. There has been an attentional demand that pulled me away from some quality time with things like family, relationships, and faith —Or made me feel guilty or stressed at times because there was something else needing my attention. I want to focus on prioritizing and investing in spending more quality time with my husband, with my family, and with God.
3. #TradWife
This is a new term to me and it kind of makes me chuckle. I heard it on TikTok this week and it was said with so much animosity, which is funny to me because it is everything I have always aspired to be. I grew up watching my mom be a traditional housewife and stay at home mom. As Proverbs 31:27 says “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness…”, that is my mom 100%. I always looked forward to becoming a wife and even though housewife things aren’t always the most fun tasks it makes me happy to care for my home and care for my husband. I am 100% the girl that will leave a function early to cook dinner before my husband gets home, or wake up early to pack his lunch before work. Not because I have to but because I want to because it shows love and care for my family. The highlight of my first “free day” after graduation was getting my house fresh and clean, haha! I may not be a fully traditional Trad Wife because I also enjoy working and contributing financially, but having a clean house, a home cooked meal on the stove, and taking care of the needs of my family brings me so much joy.
4. The Year of Dates, Part 2
For 2024 I made a goal of having an intentional date night with my husband once a month. We literally do everything together always, but I wanted these times to be intentional not routine. It didn’t have to be anything extravagant, but just intentional. We didn’t quite make every single month in 2024, but we did do the majority of the year. I definitely want to continue this. Marriage is one of the only things that you vow to commit to for the rest of your life…therefore it is one of the most important things you can invest in. Also, Brian is my favorite person in the world so I love doing anything and everything together.
Secondly, 2024 was also the year of girl dates! I need to write a whole blog post on this topic, but for now I will just say every single girl needs a girl-tribe that listens to you, cares for you, and supports you fiercely through everything that life has to bring. Last January I gathered the three closest girls in my life asked them if we could organize our calendars to get together at least once a month. At first I wasn’t sure if they would really want to, or if once a month would be too demanding for all of our busy lives, but it was truly one of the best things we did this year! We couldn’t wait to get together each month, we experienced so many things together, and supported each other through good and bad times. We needed it more than we even knew!
My goal for 2025: more husband dates, and more girl dates!
5. Invest in Healthy Behaviors
I know… I know… this is on everyone’s resolution list. But hear me out… I think it’s ok to include this every year. Your health is wealth! It is always ok to want to invest in or improve your health. I do have “weight loss” goals, gym goals, pants size goals, etc… But more so I want to invest in the habits and behaviors that lead to those outcomes, whether I reach these goals this year or not. I hope to get back to a healthier and stronger place and place value in caring for my body more than checking off a box on a to do list. Buuuuttttt… I’m not going to be mad if I weigh 150 pounds and fit into a size 8 by December of 2025. 🤣 👀
6. New Adventures
Truly, the title of this point should be “Go to Disney World” but i’m going to be more broad with this. Our trip to Universal Studios this year got me hooked on theme parks and I have been hustling and hoping to make it to Disney World this year. While that is my dream trip at the moment, I would definitely be excited if 2025 took us on some other new adventures too. I love a trip, even if it’s just a day trip or road trip. It’s always exciting to go somewhere out of the ordinary and see something new. And of course I love to document it along the way. 📸
7. Improve My Skills
I am really proud of my photography work, and really excited about where I am at professionally. But at the end of the day there is always room to grow and improve and learn new things. I would love to improve my photography skills this year. Specifically, I want to advance my editing skills and be more creative with my shooting composition.
8. Be the girl that helps others learn…
Lately I’ve been thinking about the person I want to be… It got me thinking about some of the women, business women, and content creators that I follow and admire. What do they have in common? They are the type of women that help others become better in one way or another. They help others learn, they don’t gate keep, they speak potential into the lives of others, they bring light and life into peoples lives. I want to be that girl this year.
9. New Work Opportunities.
I’m really hoping to expand SLC to offer new services this year! In doing that, i’m hopeful for new work opportunities! I love portraits, branding, weddings, and all of the types of sessions I currently do. But I want to reach out to other industries and create solutions to their media needs. I am trying to think creatively and come up with new offerings. I’m sure there will be many announcements this year! :)
10. Full Time Photography
I saved the best for last. ☺️ While this was not part of my initial plan for 2025, I am excited to announce that I am now a FULL TIME PHOTOGRAPHER! I had great plans for pursuing a 9-5 career for a little while post-graduation, but when those doors abruptly shut in my face I felt like it was a clear sign that God was moving me toward this direction instead. It can be a scary jump, but the support of family, friends, clients, referrals, and every social media interaction helps make this dream a reality. I am looking forward to diving deeper into my creativity and providing even better services to my clients now that all of my focus is on them. With that being said, if you need a photographer this year or know someone who does, send them my way! 🥳
So there you have it! I am sure that I could go on forever with aspirations and dreams that I have for this new year, but for now here is my top 10. They might not all happen, or they might change throughout the year, and that’s ok. In spite of the ups and downs (and trauma 😅) that some years bring, I hope you are looking forward into this year with even a glimmer of hope and anticipation and giving yourself the permission to dream and grow in any capacity. If you need someone to cheer you on, I’m your girl! Go for it! And tell me your 2025 goals in the comments!
xoxo,
Sami
