YOU GUYS. How can this year already be almost over?! I’m so not ready for 2014, yet. I mean, I’m excited for it, but I always have grand plans that I’ll somehow be super organized to ring in the new year with my goals all in order and ready to accomplish! But you know what, it doesn’t always work like that. And one of the things I’ve always hoped to show with these monthly posts are that 1) I DO believe in setting goals and aiming to achieve things but 2) That I fully believe you will not always accomplish everything when you first hope to – and that’s ok. I really appreciated this honest post from my friend Lauryn as she looked back on her 2013 goals. If you’ve ever set out to achieve something and didn’t get it done as planned, know that you’re not alone! But also know it’s never too late to aim for it again! Don’t let failure paralyze you from dusting off and moving forward.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. November was a great month! I shot my last weddings of the year, did the Fall Photo-A-Day challenge, enjoyed hosting my family for Thanksgiving, attending my first Kinfolk workshop, celebrating 3 years married to my love, pretty engagement session locations, finally started One Thousand Gifts, spruced up the second guest bedroom with some fun accents, supported local theater, attended a super fun local mixer put on by The Knot, finished some DIY projects, and bought entirely-too-expensive popcorn to support our neighbors. So many things enjoyed, and so much to be grateful for!

Here’s a recap of what was checked off the list:

PERSONAL

– Keep working out twice a week
– Make menu with Aaron for Thanksgiving
– Hang Chalkboard in kitchen
– Get bedding for guestroom upstairs
– Add decorative touches to guestrooms
– Sort childhood stuff that Mom brought
– Hang blinds in the rest of the guestrooms
– Do Fall Photo-A-Day challenge!
– Start One Thousand Gifts
– Order sample swatch of potential fabric for dining room
– Put china cabinet in dining room
– Hang plates in dining room
– Take photo for Christmas card
– Start gathering things for gallery wall

BUSINESS

– Trial run with outsourcing some editing
– Submit 2 more weddings/shoots
– Design & Order new address stickers
– Order 1 or 2 canvases for office
– Finish current album design(s)
– Have coffee with at least one photographer friend
– Do a styled Christmas shoot

I definitely am not on my game with submitting things like I want to. But, sometimes you just gotta play catch up at the end of the year…. So, here’s what I’m hoping December looks like:

PERSONAL

– Host girl’s movie night
– Order actual fabric for dining room curtains
– Hang plates in dining room
– Hit up local craft markets for Christmas shopping
– Try at least one new recipe
– Make cookies for neighbor
– Send out Christmas cards
– Get stairway painted

BUSINESS

– Purchase Lara Casey Powersheets
– (Finally) Upgrade to 5D Mk III
– Send out Christmas cards
– Order new shipping boxes
– Actually submit 2 more weddings
– Blog 2 weddings

I’m definitely already loving this month and enjoying as much Christmassy stuff as I can. Hoping to still accomplish a lot in the next few weeks, but sometimes the holidays end up taking over. Nonetheless, here’s hoping for checking off quite a few of these things before the New Year rolls around!

Happy December, friends!