Candlelight | Photo Journal + Thoughts on Setting Goals

I already had a post scheduled for tonight. I was going to share some photos and talk about my photography goals for 2018. The photos will still be here, but instead of sharing my photography goals, I’m going to ramble on about something I don’t know anything about: setting goals.

But wait, Keira. You said you had photography goals. And now you’re telling me you don’t know anything about setting goals?

I promise I’ll explain at the end.

I have never been the kind of person who makes “goals.” Which is a great way to start this off – hey, I don’t make goals but I promise you I have something to say about them.

I’m not a fickle person, I promise you.

This year has been different from other years. The feeling that I need to start setting goals for myself has intensified in the past month. I realize that a). I’m getting older and I need to pick the roads I’m going to travel down. b). I need to define what those roads are instead of just figuring it out as I go.

It first started with photography. I got this awesome new camera last month, and I realized that I need to focus on creating better photographs. It started with, hey these are things I really want to work on next year. let me write a post about it and share it with everyone.

But there was this voice at the back of my mind, you shouldn’t share your goals online when you have such a horrible curve towards procrastination.

I dismissed that voice because I thought it was trying to talk me out of something: (Don’t share your goals because there’s a small, small chance you won’t actually meet them.)

So I wrote the blog post anyway, and scheduled it.

That brings me to Monday afternoon, surfing YouTube. I watched this video, and that’s when I knew I had to scrap the blog post. Watching it made me realize that setting goals is so much more than just writing stuff down that you think is cool and want to accomplish. <<<< that, if anything is a recipe for failure because you're not actually being intentional, taking stock of the resources you have, and using them for the best purposes. You may even set unreasonable goals for yourself, and then you'll be disappointed when you don't accomplish them.

What I took away from the video was this: You don’t book plane tickets to travel the world, if you don’t have enough gas money to get to the airport.

And I think what I did was get caught up in, ahhhh I want do so many things. When actually: it’s going to be a lot harder than I thought.

Obviously there are times when you set goals just to see if you can push yourself hard enough, to push the limits of what you think you can do. That’s awesome and amazing, and it definitely keeps you from growing comfortable.

But it’s not me, right now.

I can’t start there. I need to take some time, sit and write out all these thought spirals until I know where I’m going and why. Taking small steps first, and seeing where they lead.

I hope this explains why I said in the beginning that I made goals, but I actually didn’t know what I was doing. I’m worried that it won’t make sense, because I wrote it all in a rush when I usually sit down and perfect every sentence.

Here’s to honesty, right guys?

I’ve said enough
already, but I just
want to give a massive
shout-out to Sydney Fontaine
for being awesome and
also the inspiration for
this post.
k.

 

 

Candlelight | Photo Journal

By far my favorite part of Chanukah this year, was getting to test out my camera’s low light abilities. I had been looking for the perfect opportunity, and she did not disappoint.

*If you click on the photos
and scroll down,
you’ll be able
to see all the settings.
My camera does this
all on its own and
it’s super awesome!

I’m so happy with how these turned out. Lights are so pretty, aren’t they? Goodness.

 

 


|| Let’s Have a Conversation ||

Are you setting goals for 2018?Are you still thinking about it? • Do you even set goals at all?Do you write letters to the new year?Tell me all about it.

8 thoughts on “Candlelight | Photo Journal + Thoughts on Setting Goals

  1. hey darlin, I just wanted to say I found your blog the other day & I super duper love it and all the photography you post here! I adore your photo journals and getting a glimpse into your days and hobbies. I’ll definitely be following along!

    love, han

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  2. So true! I am (too much of) a goal setter, and sometimes(/usually) they don’t work. I need to watch the video by Sydney too!

    Beautiful photos!! Happy 2018!

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  3. Wait, are you Jewish or Messianic?

    Also, I really feel this as well. Especially with language learning goals. How can I bother to proceed with Korean when I am still grasping the Spanish grammar after so many years? And it can made one feel like a fraud when they write down all these goals just to not complete them. Even though readers will probably be understanding about it.

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    • I’m neither. But I celebrate Chanukah because I think it’s a beautiful holiday.

      Yes, that’s exactly it. : )

      Best wishes on your language studies. That’s so exciting!
      k.

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  4. You just summed up all my thoughts perfectly. I always think that by writing out my goals and posting about it will hold me accountable, but there’s so much more to accomplishing things than simply just writing them down. It takes drive and energy and is much much harder to do than it seems. But like you said, I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I can’t just go with the flow anymore. I have to define what I want to do with my life and actually make it happen!
    Love this post, and your pictures are top notch!
    Merry Christmas and Happy 2018!

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    • YESS, I think it’s exactly that – committing to ideas beyond just writing them down. I’m so glad you can relate, Hannah. And thank you for all your kind words.

      best wishes for your New Year,
      k.

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