Shannon S. Evans » new year goals

New Year, Same Old Dreams

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:42:58 +0000

So far, 2011 seems a bit strange. It’s not a bad thing, it just feels a bit different. I know where I’m going and even how I’m getting there (tentatively) but the little steps along the way frighten me just a tad. However, I will press forward with patience. I’m realizing that was the lesson I was supposed to learn at the end of 2010. There are many things that aren’t in my control and I really need to be patient as they resolve themselves. I can’t allow myself to be scared of the unknown and instead, I will continue to pursue all of my dreams and goals with heavy doses of faith.

So, here they are…all the things that I have going on this year.

1. Working less, making more. In December I read “4-Hour Work Week” and it changed my life. If you’ve read the book and followed this blog, you already know that this is the direction that I’ve been moving in. The book just helped spark a lot of important ideas on how to get where I want to be. At the end of 2010, I spent a lot of time analyzing my personal weaknesses and how they impacted the company. Many changes were needed. So now, Tia has agreed to manage all the day to day stuff, we’re outsourcing all of our admin functions, we’re adding a few more photographers and we’re getting some account managers. It will take about a month to set this all up, but once it’s done, I’ll focus on branding and communications. That’s it.

2. Moving to the city. I’ve decided to make Atlanta my base location indefinitely. (I’m hesitant about writing that down because I remember saying the same thing about DC and then ended up moving a week later.) It feels good to make a decision about this. It has been on my mind since the summer. I know that most people wouldn’t imagine that this is something really important to me, but it is. As much as I like traveling, I like my own space. I need somewhere that allows me to feel like I’m living even when I’m not traveling. I want to be able to walk to a coffee shop, have a place for photo shoots, host dinner parties, etc. The suburbs are killing me. I’ve gotten to know Atlanta a little bit now and there are a few neighborhoods that would allow me to have the lifestyle that I want. It’s not DC (it’s also not as expensive) but it will do. The goal is to find a place by June.

3. Dancing. As I twirled around my room on NYE, I realized how much I missed dancing. One of the things I was planning on doing this winter in Salvador was dancing for four months. I’ve decided that I’m going to start taking dance classes again. This is something that probably won’t happen until I move. It’s also one of the major reasons that I want to live in the city.

4. Traveling I want to travel out of the country at least three times this year. I have no set place to go but I’m looking into Jamaica, Nicaragua and a trip back to Brasil. I plan on staying put for the first six months of the year so I’ll be cramming this in the last six months.

5. This blog. I’m going to blog more consistently this year. I’ll post twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. (Maybe I’ll get up to three times.) One of my main goals when I started this blog was to be googleable. (Weird, I know). I searched for myself one day and I was all the way on page five! After writing for over a year, I’m now number one. Woot! Since my very superficial goal has been accomplished, my new goal is to use this blog to travel for free. I have no interest in monetizing this blog, I just want tons of perks. So, even though I consider myself to be a very behind the scenes type of person, I will be growing my personal brand.

6. Personal Projects. Back in July, I mentioned that I have this dream of having a bloco and doing a documentary in Salvador. Even though I haven’t mentioned it since, I have been taking small steps to accomplish this. The most important thing I realized was that I should wait another year. I started a Salvador website instead and I’ll work on building that up and then having the bloco in 2012. My other personal project is “In the Light”. I suffered a major setback on this one. My brother deleted all the photos from my external hard drive so I essentially have to start all over. Painful. But, I’m going to do it. Since I won’t be shooting as much for Sevan, I’ll be able to spend more time focusing on this.

This should be enough to get me through the year.

Love, This Crazy Emotion

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:00:42 +0000

Here I was, out on a Friday night with a great guy. A guy that fits just about everything that I’ve said I was looking for with plenty of bonuses. But before I knew it, I thought about him.Him being the ex, the smoker (this isn’t really the best way to describe him, but since it was the only thing I wrote about him, it will have to suffice.). The feelings came out of nowhere and shocked me. I was able to suppress them and have a great time that night, but by the time I came home I had to face reality. I wasn’t over him.

Somehow over the past four months I’d found myself deeper in love than I knew was possible. And now, here I was faced with all these feelings and emotions after I told myself that I was ready to get over them. And not only was I ready to get over them, but I would do it in a week max. Turns out I was fooling myself.

I’m in love.

Yup, I’m in love.

The good thing is that I don’t feel angry or upset. It actually makes me smile. I smile because I’m slowly realizing that it’s one of those loves that don’t you don’t come across very often. I should tell you that my friends would say, especially AP, that I have a tendency to “fall in love” rather easily. However, not like this. And while it’s attacked me quite suddenly, I’ll use this opportunity to slow down mentally.

What do I mean?

Well, I realized on Friday and then on Saturday that I’m completely out of kilter. This is no way to start the new year. While I can deal with being love, I can’t deal with being off balanced at the beginning of 2011 (which by the way is going to be a great year.) So, I’ll be taking the following steps for the next 10 days or so.

1. Relish in solitude. This one is first because because I can’t accomplish any of the other things without really getting inside myself. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this and I’m really looking forward to it. I love solitude and it’s a good time to get back to a place where I only hear my own voice.

2. Write. I write here and enjoy it. Before this blog, I always kept a composition book filled with my thoughts. During this time, I’ll continue to write here (especially at the conclusion of it) but I’ll also write some incoherent scribbles on bits of paper for myself.

3. Read. Right after Thanksgiving I picked up Tim Ferris’ book the “Four Hour Work Week .“ If you’ve been reading my blog, it should come as no surprise that this book appeals to me. I’ve pulled out some good information from there that will eventually help me accomplish some of the things that I’ve been aiming it. Since it will probably help with my planning, I’d like to finish it in the next few days.

4. Plan. I know better than anyone that planning is bullshit and adapting is better. However, there are some things I need to sketch out for next year. Most of them are business related and the others relate to travel. I’ll keep things flexible, but the goal is to have a general idea of where my life is going.

5. Pray & meditate. I really don’t know where I’d be without prayer. Actually, I do know: lost. For the next 10 days, I’m going to sit in a corner praying and meditating. I pray often, but it’s been a long time since I’ve meditated . One day in the near future I’ll write a post on my favorite techniques and why this is all so important

(Believe me, I realize that this post is all over the place. Which is exactly why I need to sit and get myself together.)

You Can Have Anything If You Put in the Work

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:09:41 +0000

Before I settled in Brazil less than a week ago, I was all over the place: DC, New York, Atlanta, Ohio, and Jamaica. The great thing is that I’ve been able to see friends and clients that I’ve been working with for months. Everywhere I went, everyone asked me if I’ve lost weight and after I answered yes, everyone wanted to know how I did it. Well, I got up every day and I worked out and I ate better. Simple enough. Pah! The truth is, it wasn’t easy, but I stuck with it.

Now, when I look in the mirror, I’m reminded that I can accomplish anything if I just work hard at it. It won’t happen overnight, (It’s taken me a little bit over two years to get to the fitness level that I am at now.) but with time and dedication, it’s possible.

I apply this logic with everything that I do and my message to you for the new year: Keep at whatever it is that you’ve set out to do. It might not happen today, but stay focused and eventually you’ll find yourself where you planned on being. Anything is possible with hard work and faith.

Now, I’m off to the beach!