Don't Make New Year's Resolutions-What You Should Do Instead

It's the New Year, and for most of us, I'm going to wager a guess that at least a couple of thoughts about setting a few New Year's resolutions have likely crossed your mind, even if they've been fleeting.

I'm not much of a resolution maker, and here are my reasons why. In my experience as an educator, when I see photographers creating resolutions for themselves, I hear aspirations that are filled with many complicated steps to achieve that resolution.

Ever heard this saying? "She's bitten off more than she can chew." Large generalized resolutions like, "I want to learn manual mode, or I want to improve composition, or I want to learn how to edit my images in Photoshop" are aspirations that are likely to create overwhelm and become abandoned. Setting resolutions should not be your priority if you want to become a better photographer.

Instead of creating resolutions that become "more than you can chew," this year, I want you to set small, attainable goals. Furthermore, my preference would be for you to set a single goal at a time and work on achieving that goal before moving on to another goal. 

Look at resolutions as if they are a finished puzzle. The final puzzle is your resolution or larger aspiration. It's the outcome you want to achieve, such as learning manual exposure mode. But to create that puzzle, smaller pieces need to fit together. It's those smaller pieces or goals where you want to focus your attention, not the resolutions, as resolutions don't get results; goals do.   

Here's an example of smaller goals versus grander aspirations or resolutions. 

• Smaller goal: I will learn about the role shutter speed has in manual exposure mode. Larger aspiration: I want to learn manual exposure mode.
• Smaller goal: I will explore the relationship between aperture and depth of field. Larger aspiration: I want every landscape image I create to be in sharp focus from the front through the back of the frame. 
• Smaller goal: I will purposefully experiment with white balance settings in every image I take until I understand how Kelvin white balance impacts my straight out of the camera images. Larger aspiration: I want my straight-out-of-camera photos to represent the colour I saw when I captured the image.
• Smaller goal: I will always walk around a location before setting up my camera and purposefully look for interesting compositions. Larger aspiration: I want to improve the composition of my images.  
• Smaller goal: I will explore the HSL Panel in Lightroom to learn more about colour. Larger aspiration: I want to create images full of rich colour. 
• Smaller goal: I will learn how to use a mask in Photoshop effectively. Larger aspiration: I want to advance my Photoshop editing skills. 

Take another look through the examples of goals versus aspirations or resolutions above. Look at the language used. The smaller goal "will" be what you do. Whereas, the larger aspiration is what you "want" to achieve. Can you see how specific goals are actions that will help you achieve the results you are looking for?  In contrast, aspirations or resolutions are grand general ideas that cannot be accomplished without taking the smaller steps to achieve the result. 

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I recommend purchasing yourself a learning notebook or keeping track of your goals via a digital document. First, jot down your more significant aspirations or resolutions. Then think about the smaller goals that will help you achieve that resolution. Third, keep track of all the smaller goals you are working on to help you achieve that grand resolution. 

I do suggest you make an effort to write down your small goals. Then, as you achieve those goals, you'll have proof of your accomplishments which will keep you motivated and empower you to move forward in your photography journey.

There's no time like the present! Now is the time for you to set some goals!

With every goal, you accomplish you'll be one piece closer to becoming the photographer you want to be. Remember that it always takes time to find where a specific puzzle piece fits, some pieces take longer than others to locate and settle into their permanent home, but in the end, all the parts do come together. 

Also, keep in mind that photography is an endless journey of learning and development. Once you fill in all the pieces of a puzzle, there'll be another one to create!  There's no finish line in photography, so do enjoy your journey.