Wow! I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone. With work, travel and regular life, it has seemed to fly by faster then I would of liked. With a start of a New Year most people sum up their highlights from this past year with things or achievements they are proud of. Then once you have figured out all the things you have done you then set upon looking to new goals for the next year, which you can present the following year and so on and so on. In other words “do do do, buy, do some more, buy some more, do do do”. Most of us live a busy life and I am equally busy as I cannot help that I am passionate about so many things. I feel that as we age, this routine will only get worse as the years will all seem to blend and blur together and I fear that.

I can easily get into a fast paced routine of pounding through the everyday life always looking to whats next and looking ahead. I did a lot of stuff this past year, all of which I am proud of. My business grew substantially, I travelled, I exercised, I photographed and most importantly, I lived. Looking back I would not change or add anything and for next year my goal is only to do what I do, but do it BETTER. I do not need to do more, work more or exercise more, but what I do need to do is to do it better than I have this past year. I am going to make a strong effort to be who I am and to be more committed to the task or thing that I am doing at that time rather then having 27 things on my mind and thinking ahead to what may be next.

I also need to absorb more of the things I do. With a fast paced “do, do, do” life you never seem to absorb more than a small percent of whatever you are doing. For me, there are two things that help me not only slow down but help me take in all that is in the moment, Photography and my wife. Photography has taught me that is hard to take pictures whilst running (unless you are going for a blurry effect, in which case it is still relevant). You need to slow down your movement and be in the moment to press that into a frame. My wife has one of the best “be in the moment” personalities of any person that I have ever met. She has and still is teaching me how to un plug from my life and be in that moment in time. It is not something I find easy to do, but I need to work at.

I leave you with a best wish for the new year!