I had plans to start throwing my name out there as a wedding photographer the moment I stepped foot in Utah. I would network like no one has networked before. I would devote every spare moment to making my dream of working full time as a photographer come true. But after the move, I was scrambling for time to even finish editing the shoots I had in my queue, let alone to seek out new ones.
And then I started making excuses:
- I need to just catch up on life before starting anything big.
- I actually really like my new full time job, so why stress about pushing photography?
- If I'm struggling to find time to edit the wedding I shot a month ago, I should not be seeking out new weddings.
Throughout this entire excuse-making process, I was noticing the vigor in which a fellow photographer, who I'm friends with online, was approaching her business. She was booking multiple shoots a day, editing and posting the photos immediately after shoots, going, going, going with no sign of stopping. It was ridiculously impressive, and I felt jealous. I made excuses again:Well, if I didn't need to work a 9-5 I would have all the time in the world to devote myself completely to this dream.
And maybe that's true, but that doesn't mean it's any less of an excuse.
I wasn't lacking in time so much as I was lacking in enthusiasm. And enthusiasm, in any self-employed situation, is your secret weapon. It is what gets you up early to write and schedule those blog posts, or what has you spending your only free hours in the evening assembling items for your handmade shop. It is what motivates you through those long, hard hours that are inevitable at the beginning of starting your own business, when you're still unsure what will come of your efforts or if it's even a good idea.
Enthusiasm is what separates the people who persevere with the people who give up. If you're truly enthusiastic about something, you can set your sights on a goal and do everything in your power to achieve it.
I'm not saying it's that simple, but I can say that the people who find success are the people enthusiastic, driven and motivated enough to see something through the slow times, the rough times, the confusing times.
In case you missed it, I launched my new photography website yesterday. Pretty stoked about that. I'm choosing to approach each day as a chance to work towards success, and any day I'm not moving forward I'm taking a step back. I love what I do and I want to do more of it, and I'm going to remember that the next time I get home from work and don't feel like doing anything at all.
How enthusiastic are you about what you do?
How enthusiastic are you about what you do?