Lately I’ve been so busy, it seems that I’m barely keeping my head above water.  I sometimes feel like I’m never going to get caught up.  So I create lists.  Lots of lists.  Currently I have 8 post-it note lists on my desk, another list that was our grocery list but the only thing around when I needed to write something down.  There’s 3 notebooks on my desk, along with my electronic lists on my iPad and iPhone.  I have so many things on my current “must get done” to-do list, that I haven’t had much time to work on my “really need to get done” to-do list or even look at my “want to get done” to-do list.  Then the other day I stumbled across the B-I-G to-do list…

When I first started my business 3 years ago I created a list of “goals”.  Although I guess I never really looked it as a “Goal List”, I’ve always just considered it a list of things that I’d like to accomplish both professionally and personally.  I’ve seen other people have these lists they call 101 in 1001.  It’s a list of 101 things that they want to do in 1001 days.  I’ve always loved the concept of this but every time I’ve sat down to write out the list I get about half way done and can’t come up with the rest.  Then it gets set aside and I forget about it because it’s not finished in my eyes.

Every once in a while I find these lists – they’re all scattered in different pretty journals and notebooks throughout my office.  One thing that always surprises me when find my lists, is how many things I’ve actually accomplished without even realizing it.  There truly is power in writing things down.  This morning I received an e-mail that made me think of my big list  and I am super stoked to say that one of the items I’ve really been working towards this year has been accomplished!  #27 – GET PUBLISHED.

I’m incredibly proud and honored to announce that Our Rustic Inspiration shoot was recently featured on the WeddingWire Blog!  Here’s the inspiration board that was submitted through Two Bright Lights and you can see the WeddingWire post here!  Special thanks for all of their help and hard work to my friends the Tanners, Kevin with Twigs & Branches Floral, Jennie with Beautiful Day Even Planning, Nicole with Inviting Friendz our models Jaclyn & Bob,  Emily for the awesome hair and makeup, Barb’s Bridal Salon and Molnar’s Tuxedo.

And because I thought it would be fun to share, here’s my current big list…

1. Create a Mission Statement – DONE – Thanks to help of my fantastic business coach Ken.  ”To become a locally recognized photographer by capturing who my clients are, not just what they look like.”
2. Create a Vision Statement - DONE – Thanks Ken! “Clicking Through Life ~ photography by Shannon Schwabe’s purpose is to capture real life events that evoke true emotions”
3. Hire an Accountant - check
4. Create Wedding Day Timeline – check
5. Studio Managment - I recently started using ShootQ and am amazed at how awesome it is!
6. Offer Client Websites
7. Start a referral program – have one in the works, but needs some tweaking
8. Create a Newsletter – created, now have to start using it
9. Lifestyle Sessions – sometimes I write things down and don’t remember what I meant
10. Attend a hands-on workshop – attended the Flashfire workshop in August
11. Shoot a destination wedding – Photographing Ericka and Jacob’s wedding in Fort Myer’s, FL next month!
12. Return to St. Lucia
13. Go to Europe
14. Figure out Boudoir Identity
15. Babysit for a friend – Yup I threw it out there, not which one of yous is going to take me up on it?  :-)
16. Plan a night out with a client
17. Have a luau – does it count if my best friend and husband threw a surprise luau for my birthday?
18. Plan a Fondue Dinner Party
19. Have my neices Lauren, Abby and my nephew Evan all stay the night.  On the same day!
20. Start my own composting
21. Start Eating right and living a healthier lifestyle – always a work in progress
22. Scrapbook
23. Read a personal book a month for a year
24. Read a Jane Austin novel
25. Read Wuthering Heights
26. Surprise Scott with a Roadtrip
27. Get published – DONE!
28. See a movie all by myself
29. Write a letter
30. Go to New York City – Shot this cutie’s 1 year portraits in Central Park this summer
31. Go to Seattle
32. A trip around Michigan on the Motorcycle
33. Have my own Boudoir Session
34. Create a work schedule
35. Take a “Staycation”
36. Blog every day for a month
37. Plan a stylized shoot – Accomplished this in June with a Modern Vintage theme and a Rustic theme and one of them has been published!
38. Take a vacation with my girlfriends
39. Go to Nappa
40. Style a “First Year” Package
41. Create a Product Catalogue
42. Hire an assistant – Erin recently has started helping me and I am in love with her!
43. Build a home office
44. Befriend someone in another country
45. Build something
46. Visit our cousins in Wisconsin
47. Implement a quality system
48. New product packaging