Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Resolutions for 2011

They say that publishing your resolutions makes you more likely to be pressured into keeping them. They also say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In the spirit of both of those sentiments, I bring you my resolutions for 2011. I have decided to break them up into personal and professional. A new rule I have added is that no resolution can be a repeat from a previous year. Thus, embracing the insanity sentiment.

Personal:
  1. Travel. I need to get out of the house/immediate area more. A trip constitutes a minimum of 65 miles (less if a ferry is involved to get there). Last year, I did that maybe three times. I would like to make it a minimum of 8 times. 8 out of 52 weekends is not unreasonable.
  2. Wardrobe. As anyone who knows me knows, I don't have a wardrobe. I have clothes I wear regularly. Mainly, I keep putting it off convinced I'll lose weight and it will be a waste of money. As my weight has remained unchanged in two years, I need to get over this and actually start building more than just a few pieces I wear until they are in tatters. Money is a factor, but I can slowly add items for work and play. Personally, if money wasn't an issue, my wardrobe would be all Eddie Bauer, Burberry and argyle. I do loves me some argyle. However, I reserve the right to immediately change into my yoga pants and t-shirt when I come home. The t-shirt I am currently living in says "It's all fun until Skynet goes active." It was a birthday gift from my friend Martha.
  3. Communication. I am pretty good about sending thank you cards and, up until this year, Christmas cards, but I am god awful at sending physical birthday cards and taking the time to write an actual letter or email to someone I haven't talked to in a while. Facebook has taken over that, but for those not on facebook, I have been neglectful.
  4. Personal Photos. I have become very lax at printing out my photos. I also have none of them hanging in my own apartment. My bedroom is filled with geek artwork. Mainly, THESE, THISish (It's the same artist, but a better print of the crew. I couldn't find a link to the one I have) and THIS. The main room just has an autographed Clerks poster and an autographed Middleman poster. I do have THIS framed and hanging in the kitchen.
  5. Balance school and photography with my interests. One of the things that I did in college was get immersed in what I was learning and everything else just sort of froze. This is why almost all film students want to make movies about making movies. I want to make sure my influences come from all aspects of life and not just other photos and photographers.

Professional:
  1. Separation of church and state (so to speak). I need to have separate internet lives as myself and my photographer self. This means having a place to send people to look at my photos, blog, tweets, etc. that is more about my photos and less about me. With my photos, I try to use the by-line "Kathy Ann Bugajsky" which just makes it more google-able when searching for my stuff.
  2. Read manuals. Not necessarily as a book, but actually looking at the actual manual or multiple sources on the internet to learn more about what I am doing. I'm sure with certain programs there are short cuts I am missing solely because I never took the time to research them properly.
  3. Listen to photography podcasts to stay in touch with current issues and gear. Specifically, This Week in Photography and Photofocus.
  4. Keep accurate and clear records of spending for tax purposes. This means keeping a good calendar, receipts and using a program like Quicken or Mint.com.
  5. Return and send emails to people requesting photos in a prompt manner. Do not let them sit and have to apologize for the delay.
Wow. You read all that? I stopped listening to myself ages ago. Hopefully, this is different enough from my other resolutions to work.

**If any of you actually read my previous resolutions, how hard did you laugh? I kept 6 of the 36 I listed (16%). Let's see if I can do better.**

1 comment:

Paul Davis said...

Good luck with your resolutions

I may to steal a few of yours if mine don't work out ;-)