The BEST decision I ever made for my business!

I have to admit, last year I was starting to burn out.  I was tired, stressed and didn't have many fun days with my family.  I was starting to resent the fact that I had started my own business and wasn't enjoying it the way I should have been.  The whole reason I started working for myself was to be my own boss and enjoy life!  Right?  Doesn't that sound lovely... be your own boss, make your own hours, say no or yes whenever you want, make the best decisions for yourself and your family, etc...  In theory it sounds perfect, but I found myself not being able to say no, working all hours of the night, not taking days off, and in the end it hurt myself and my family.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and working with each and every family has been such a rewarding experience, but, I was working too much!  Here I was trying to be a stay-at-home mom, a devoted wife, running different ministries in my church, AND trying to run a business without taking any time for myself to relax.  It was awful.  I had forgotten what it meant to slow down and enjoy life and I never want to feel like that again.  Yes, there will be deadlines, busy weeks, and life with three kids is almost always hectic, but I don't want to dread going to "work."

This past winter I made a very clear decision that I was going to cut my work load almost in half by accepting less weddings, fewer photo sessions and slowing down.  Not because I wanted to, but because I needed to.  My family needs me.  My husband needs me.  And I need to have quiet.  So far this year I have done just that and find that I am looking forward to each and every session with excitement and the energy I need to give my clients what they deserve.  I am able to keep up with my work load and spend quality time away from my computer to be present with my family.  I will never regret this decision and look forward to the many memories I will be making with my family this year!

So, what's the best decision I've ever made for my business?  Work less!  It sounds ridiculous, but it's made me a better photographer, wife, mom and friend!!  This may sound like common sense to some of you, but for me it took a few years of learning it the hard way to realize what I was doing!  Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised!! :)

(And this little personal post wouldn't be complete without some quick shots of my own kiddos while playing in the yard this past weekend... while we were relaxing as a family!) xoxo