Tag: new year

 

Finding Joy

The Official Bethany J. Photography Blog with Bethany Joy Steele

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So last year I started reading again! I got through 4 books. This year I’m hoping to challenge my reading by finding more in-depth books on topics I find interesting! I thought I might share just in case yall were interested! Here are my top ten books I want to read this year listed by interest.

 

 

 

 

Own your past change your future

 

 

 

 

 

I found Dr. John Delony by listening to his podcast  The Dr. John Delony Show. I found myself looking forward to his new episodes because he had a compassionate approach to helping people solve problems. The advice he gave was really easy to apply. He recently came out with a book and if it’s anything like his podcast it will be worthwhile. If you have past trauma or want to learn how to communicate better this is a great book!

 

 

 

 

The Personal MBA

 

So I have to admit I bought this book already! I was curious because I have been looking for a way to better understand business to help guide how I improve my work. So far I am loving this book because it is written for the average person who doesn’t have any business school knowledge. I enjoy the conversational tone and I really like how it has practical help. If you need business understanding but don’t wanna take another course check this out.

 

 

 

 

 

Never Split the Difference

 

 

 

This title grabbed my eye because I don’t like confrontation! It makes my heart race and my palms sweat. In the name of scaring myself this year (read that blog here.) I decided maybe learning about negotiating is a great way to learn how to express my needs without feeling like world war 3 will break out.

 

 

 

 

 

Your Brain’s Not Broken

 

 

 

ADHD has become a hot topic lately but is personal for me. Only recently understanding how it has affected my life I am interested in learning how to move forward into working with my brain and body instead of against it. This book had a lot of good reviews so it may be a blind read.

 

 

 

 

 

The Prosperous Coach

 

 

I may be showing my hand here but I am interested in coaching. This is a long-term plan as I would love to be able to work from home one day. I searched for one of the best books on the topic and saw this one mentioned several times. I am curious about how I can improve my skills in working with people.

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Things Done

 

 

 

I have believed the lie that unhealthy stress was an indicator that you accomplished a lot. I am realizing more and more that if I want to live a life that has room to enjoy my family, fun, and my community I need to manage better. This book stood out to me as a great start, especially that uh…stress free… part!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lean In

 

 

 

 

After taking the Katelyn James Business course last year I realized that regardless of whether I want to admit it or not I am a leader. I lead my daughter, my friends, and my clients. I wanted to look to see the thought process behind being a leader and this book was highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Influence

 

 

 

We all have it! Influence. I am not a natural salesperson I would say. I don’t like convincing people to do things but I have learned that selling is a life skill you need. Part of selling is influence and persuasion. I would like to understand the basics of marketing and why people decide how they do it. I probably won’t leave a pushy saleswoman but I think I have something to gain on this topic. 

 

 

 

 

Built to Last

 

 

Operating a small business is not just so I can have a cool hobby. I truly desire to one day spend my time not only making a living enjoying what I do but being free to help those in need. I want to build a lasting business so that I can do this for as long as possible! 

 

Blue Ocean Strategy

 

Business is a huge theme for me this year! Running a one-woman side hustle here I have realized that I can’t compete on the same level as a business with a bigger team. This book looks like a great addition to learning how to build a brand!

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Book!

 

The E myth

 

 

The E Myth looks interesting because I have heard the staggering statistics about how most small businesses don’t last. I wanna have the best shot at it so reading this may highlight some of my pitfalls!

 

What books are you thinking about reading this year and why? Tell me by following me on IG @bethanyjphotography. You can also reach me by emailing me below.

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!

Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

Finding Joy

The Official Bethany J. Photography Blog with Bethany Joy Steele

Contact Me

 

 

 

 

If you are human you probably started the year with renewed grit to go back to the gym, have the best year ever, and be better at (insert what that is here.)

I did that too and decided the easiest way to summarize my 2023 goal is to scare myself. 

Now that seems dramatic, but hear me out. Last year I took a long journey of discovering who I am as a person. I did a lot of learning and realized that I had let anxiety make myself, my dreams, and my world smaller. Fear is a powerful motivator. Fear of what people think, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of not having enough, and fear of losing what can not be brought back made me freeze. For a long time, I operated from this mentality. It was draining and left me perpetually stressed. 

 

Embracing Fear

In 2023 instead of hiding from the fears I plan on embracing them! I will be working hard despite how I may feel. As so many have said before “Do it scared.” I know that beyond my fear there are lessons to be learned, friends to be made, and a stronger me. 

How I Am Gonna Do It

I don’t know how 2023 will turn out. I don’t know what is coming but to me, there is nothing scarier than living out a life that isn’t meant for you. I don’t wanna live in a comfortable box, so it’s time to break it. Here are some ways I am going to “scare myself” this year.

 

Making New People Connections

As an adult, it’s hard to make friends. Let alone keep them. It takes vulnerability to reach out and ask to spend time with people. This year I will be vulnerable and be the asker! Life is too short to not have community.

 

Speaking Up

I will be working on communication. Being a better listener and saying out loud is what I need. I will work on being honest. I won’t go along to get along simply to avoid uncomfortable moments. 

 

Pushing My Boundaries

This year I will be pushing the boundaries of my current skills in photography, design, and writing. Learning doesn’t end with school.

 

Setting Rhythms

I used to spend a lot of time beating myself up for not being consistent, instead of asking myself why. This year I will be working on rhythm. This is about creating a margin of space for goals and recognizing my patterns of motivation and working with them instead of against them.

 

Empathy

My daughter made me realize why empathy for yourself is important. Often we can listen to the discouraging internal voice from our failures and the past. That voice might tell you you aren’t worth it or you aren’t good enough. This can lead to ignoring your own needs to the point where you don’t recognize you have needs. You may believe that this only affects you but I realize that often how I treat myself leaks into how I treat my daughter and husband. When I show understanding to myself, patience, and encouragement I am better able to model that for my daughter. I also recognize that God looks at me the way I look at my daughter. She is precious to me. Not perfect but so valuable. I had the realization that I am also precious to God and valuable. Worth care. If I wouldn’t speak to my daughter that way I won’t speak to myself that way.

 

That’s my list. What’s yours? Whatever you set out to don’t forget to be generous with yourself and show kindness. I know we all get frustrated when we fail at what we set out to do. We are human beings, not human doings lol. Have patience!

2023 ready or not it’s here! Let’s work on being better. Send me a message below if you would like! Join my email list to join my community!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!

Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

5 Ways I Bring Back Sanity After the Holidays

Relighting your lamp!

 

October and December are my busy season for photography. There are fall sessions and holiday sessions and parties and preparations for Christmas(I wanna sleep just writing this.) When January sneaks up and surprises me each year, it’s time for a little hibernation and re-examination.  If you are time blind like me, meaning you struggle to grasp how you are allotting your time and resources, I have some tips that might help you refocus your time for the new year.

 

 

Prioritize What Matters Most

Before I rush into the new year with excitement, I take time to review my previous year and look at the goals from then. I look at what worked and what didn’t. Then I look at my priorities and decide if there are some I need to let go of or improve. I always prioritize my relationship with God, my husband and baby, and finally my work and community. Prioritizing helps me to set boundaries so that I can enjoy these aspects of my life. Failing to examine and reset boundaries can turn healthy friends and experiences into bitter relationships built on obligation. So I make sure my new goals help me to prioritize my energy and care in the right ways. This practically looks like not scheduling work during family time and making time for day-to-day connection with my loved ones even if I have to schedule it. The book that helped me do this was Take Back Your Time by Christy Wright. If you find yourself always feeling short on time it’s worth a read.

 

Clocks and Calendars

I am time blind! If I don’t have a clock in front of me or write down the intentions I forget. Often this causes more stress because it feels as if I am always behind. So this year I bought more calendars! I have a daily planner, and a monthly calendar on my wall, and added a yearly calendar as well. This will help me better see everything coming! I also will be getting out my digital clocks, watch, and timers to help me stay aware of the time at all times. Additionally, I carry a notebook where I write down things I need to remember (your memory is not reliable.) Usually, I will fall off wearing my watch or using my calendar so the new year is a perfect time to reset all of this. Here is a list of the items I bought. These aren’t affiliate links I just like this stuff.

Daily Planner

Wall Calendar

Annual Calendar

Moleskin Notebooks

Simple Watch

Clocks

Alarms

 

 

Accountability 

This one is hard for me but necessary. I will be working on accountability. This might mean finding a friend to work out with. Reaching out to people who are experienced for advice or using a system like a course to stay on track with learning goals. In addition to asking real people for help, I like some of these tools as well. I have personally used all of them and have had some success in sticking to my goals due to having accountability around them.

Maple: Coordinating home tasks

Noom: Daily accountability for weight loss and healthy eating

Coursera: courses for professional development  (apply for financial aid to try it free!)

Linked In: Reach out to experienced professionals and ask to interview them for 15 minutes

Facebook Groups: Yes they may be ancient but you can find some surprisingly helpful people out there willing to share tips on everything. This is my fave as a new mom.

 

 

Finding time to play

This is a new goal of mine. I would like to find time to play. I notice I really struggle to see anything that is not productive as necessary. It’s hard to make play a priority I usually wait for a vacation or break but that’s not a good long-term plan. Life is full and I am going to have to learn to stop and breathe right in the middle of it! Otherwise, my body will force me to stop by exhaustion or lose hours of my day to YouTube. I notice when I recognize this is a real need I work hard during productivity time and can bring more creativity to my problem-solving. If you have any ideas of what I can do for fun let me know!! 

 

Resetting is just part of life. It’s a part of the rhythm. I am learning how to be a bit less all-or-nothing and a bit more flexible by understanding this process can’t just happen in January. I need it every day! How do you get back to the norm after the craziness of the holiday season? What have you found helpful? DM me on social media or email bethany@bethanyjphotography.

Subscribe to my newsletter to join my community!

 

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!

Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

 

Finding Joy

The Official Bethany J. Photography Blog with Bethany Joy Steele

Contact Me

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New year! I am praying this year is full of great things, close friends, and new adventures. We may have to stick together to get through storms and find new ways to share joy. So I hope we start by believing that the real gifts, blessings, and hopes aren’t in the stuff we have, the way we look, or in our bank account. The true blessing is in each other coming together, in prayer and generosity. The hope is that each day will be better knowing God is still in control and He is still with us.  I am ready for the challenge and invite you along with me. We will work to love our friends and families. To overcome our past and learn how to build our futures. 

I will be working to build my family and to be a better wife and mom. I will do even better with photography and any other creative ventures I find myself in. I will work to build up my friends and meet new people who are doing creative things too.

Whatever your work is for 2023 you got it! 

Happy New Year! 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!

Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.