The last of the ornaments were carefully placed into their red and green boxes, all snuggled together until next Christmas. The homemade tree skirt I made with my Mom last year was tucked away. The garland was slowly wrapped up and placed on top of the Christmas wreath that had been hanging on my door since the day after Thanksgiving. The lip-stick-marked champagne glasses were put away. The New Year’s popper strings were swept up and I had a feeling that the glitter would never come out of the couch.

The holidays were over. And I was excited.

Now, let me back up a little. Christmas is my favorite holiday. The wonder, magic, and love that filled my childhood home with their warmth and joy are still feelings that I find every December. Even now, in my 20’s. The reason for my excitement this particular January is because I have big plans for 2018.

Now, I know we all have sat down at some point in our lives and written out the infamous New Year’s resolution list. I also know that big plans are daunting! Losing those 5 extra pounds, saying yes to that new job offer, starting a photography business. These are all scary! And interestingly enough, I think that most of the fear actually comes from the decision to start something new rather than physically doing the something new. It’s that first leap of faith, its that mindful decision to attempt something different. The fear comes from the possibility of failure. Instead of taking that last shot on New Year’s Eve (which will almost guarantee a not so fun New Year’s Day), we should take a dose of courage!

Instead of writing out a long list (or short list if you are a proactive person) of resolutions this year, I urge you to just start.

S.T.A.R.T.

This is the most difficult step in any new adventure, but it is also one of the most rewarding. I guarantee you will feel a rush of confidence and anticipation for your next step! If you are someone who likes reading then the book, Start by Jon Acuff, will get your motivation wheels turning before you can yell YES! Read it. Enjoy it. Tell your friends about it. I read this book over the holiday season and here I am, publishing my first journal post on the first Monday of the 2018! Can I get an oh yeah!

I hope to use this journal as a way to keep in touch with each of you between sessions, provide helpful information for your photo sessions, and create interesting and interactive content all year long! Let me know specific topics you are interested in, and I will tailor an entire post around unpacking some of your questions. I am and always will be here to serve you!

To each of you reading this snippet of my unfolding story, I thank you. You are helping me push through until tomorrow, next week, and even years from now. I will look back on this very first journal post of 2018 as terrifying and exhilarating. As soon as I hit ‘publish,’ the scariest moment of this journal will be in the past! So again, I dare you to push one step farther on your own journeys. And then come and tell me about it! I hope you join me on this next adventure, because I would love the company. Here’s to 2018 and new things to look forward too!

Rachel Marie