Let’s face the facts… A lot of people, and I would venture to say that every single one of us –Β in one form or another, is waiting.
Waiting for ‘Someday Island to arrive. Someday may be a dream vacations, success, recognition, potty trained three year olds or the phone to ring. No matter what your island is made from one thing is typically the same, “Someday Island” always seems to be just past the horizon.
And for to many, the life that is happening right now, is focused on Β waiting for the life of someday.
{Source}
As little girls, my sister and Β I took sailing lessons at Β Seattle Yacht Club. One of our first lessons took place out at Garbage Bay (enticing name right?). We bobbed anxiously above the dark water, each inside our own two man skiff. You could actually see the nervousness spreading along the water as each skiff prepared for their turn. With every newly turned skiff our anxieties grew as our own turn came closer and closer.
We were to capsize our personal vessel and turn it right again. This was to prepare us for the assuming future times when we would capsize again and to help us understand how to properly react. It’s no surprise why this was one of the Β first things our instructors made us do, but it didn’t lesson the anxieties we all felt at the prospect of not getting right-side up again. We had three objectives; control your reaction, get your boat right-side and get back in.
I share this story with you to illustrate the idea that with anything good in life there is a risk! It can feel as though the only chance for safety is to hold for dear life to the little boat that keeps you from the deep unknown.
Now maybe this metaphor wasn’t thought through very well since I never ended up swimming with dolphins but there is still a moral to the story though it might be murky. Pardon the pun, I just couldn’t help myself! If I wouldn’t have been willing to capsize, I never would have been able to realize what I was capable of.
On second thought, I think my story relates. Because often risk doesn’t look all that appealing. Or maybe it does at first, but once you’ve gotten out there and learned that they call this place “Garbage Bay” you start second guessing, doubting and holding back. But the thing is, we will never find our way to ‘Someday Island’ if we allow fear to hold us back.
If you never capsize, you’ll never realize what you’re capable of. You’ll never see that you can get things right again, you can climb back in and you can find your way.
Whatever your ‘Someday’ is…. Design a plan for it, navigate for it and conquer.Β Β And remember an island will not move. It’s up to each of us to plan our route, study our maps and make our way.Β
Make It Real: What is your ‘Someday Island’ made of? Leave a comment and share your ‘Someday Island’ and learn about others as well!
Leah, you have no idea how much I needed to hear this today! I have been struggling with keeping my business moving forward, growing and becoming profitable. I have a million ideas with a matching excuse for why it won’t work, I can’t do it or some other reason. Yesterday, an opportunity quite literally fell in my lap. It is a scary, dark, murky unknown, it is a huge risk, but I also believe it may be exactly what I need. I have talked my self in and out of it about 98 times so far. I am going to work on a plan to find a way to make it happen! Thank you for everything you do! I find so much encouragement and inspiration here, and times I feel stuck, it is very much what I need!
Thank you so much Alison for taking the time to tell me and giving ME such a boost this morning! We are our own worst enemies for sabotaging the opportunities that come our way or for doubting our own capabilities. It sounds like you have a great opportunity to go for. Plan well, as in write out step by step action plans with deadlines so you don’t subcontiously sabotage it. Have you ever done that? I have! A great opportunity site in front of me that I’m nervous about and somehow I keep putting it off until I miss the boat entirely and want to cry when I realize I can no longer get to it.
my “someday island” is to quit my full time data entry, mind numbing, thankless day job to be a professional photographer, without losing my house and the shirt off my back. note to self: don’t buy a house when you have dreams of being your own boss, it makes that leap to “someday island” way more scary, especially when you are a single mom whose baby would have to be sleeping in a cardboard box too.
Just keep working at it! Perfect your craft and find your niche. Surprisingly, specializing will open up more doors and create a far less money sensitive market. Since you have a full time job and a little one, try to convince yourself that you don’t need many sessions, just GOOD ONES! Find what THAT number would be for you, what you’d like each client to invest and go at it full force! Down the road, when you’re ready, we could always scheduling a coaching call/skype and I’ll show you more ways to get to someday island.
thank you leah, i just found your blog yesterday, i have added it to my bloglovin… it looks like you guys have some great inspirational posts here, i love the interviews with other photographers.
it just gets hard sometimes finding the energy to work on what i WANT to do after spending 8 hours a day doing something that drains my brain! π
but i love the advice i have seen here, i’ve been taking notes and soaking it all up like a sponge!
Thank you so much Leah! I needed to hear this too! I am one that commented on your pricing post about how nobody would pay me that much in my area… well I am proud to say I am planning on raising my prices, just gotta find the time to sit down do the math and figure out the pricing that is best for me. The “island” I am seeking is to just have steady clients- it obviously isn’t working with the pricing and business plan I have so far, so what do I have to lose? Thank you for all your encouragement!!
Hurray for Heather!! I’m so excited for you!! When you’re ready to really make it happen, schedule a coaching call and we will walk through it all together! And I’ll give you the confidence boost you need to JUMP! π This is going to be so great for you!
Thank you Leah! I may be doing that- I am nervous! I might be waiting til the new year… my husband is coming home from a deployment and I will be spending all my free time with him, not clients, haha.
Great thoughts, as always. The first paragraph reminded me of the Dr. Seuss book “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” The waiting place, where everyone is just waiting. My someday island is when my husband finishes school. That is only a little more than a year away, but I know that his graduation won’t make a bit of difference to me pursuing my photography, if I don’t stop finding excuses to put it off. Your blog has been so inspiring to me. Thanks!
Had to giggle at that someday island! My hubby will be finishing school in just a few months after EIGHT YEARS! Oh that’s going to be some beautiful sand isn’t it??!! π I start my photography career while Taylor was in school and built it all up on nothing so I completely get what you’re saying!
I have finally found a site with fantastic & useful information. I, like all the others above, have found this website at the right time, just when I need you the most! I can totally relate to the other comments about wanting to quit my secure but mind numbing, thankless day job to be a professional photographer, without losing my house and the shirt off my back! π Leah ~ Your words are inspirational and will keep me sailing through the rough seas to my “someday island”. Now that I have found you & your motivational site, I am sure the seas will be a little less choppy π THANK YOU so much for putting this information out there ~ I am sure you will be a huge part of making my birthday wishes come true!
Now I should prefix that I am cryer… I keep Kleenex in business all on my own but your post just made me cry! I can’t explain to you what your words mean to me because that is MY DREAM! To get to inspire, to get to motivate and make the waters less choppy! I believe with everything in me that we can do this and I’m dying to prove it to the world. Thank you so much for your amazing comment – you made my whole day! π
I just came across your site tonight. A previous person mentioned that your post was exactly what she needed to see. I would have to say that myself as well.
I love photography and people have complimented me on my photographs but I want to sell my work not just get complimented on it. I enjoy portrait photography but my passion lies with nature shots. I would love to pursue this but I keep putting off doing the research I need to do to make this a profitable passion. I don’t know where to start, who to contact, what market could I sell my work to. Maybe I put off seriously pursuing this because I am afraid of failing. I just don’t want to look back years from now and say
” I wonder what would have happened if I had really tried?”
If you have a moment to look at my site and suggest some avenues I could try to reach a wider audience I would be most grateful.
cmdecuir.zenfolio.com
Gratefully,
Christy
Hi Christy!
First of all, welcome! It’s so nice to have you here and even nicer to meet you! I think it’s awesome that you already know where your passion is… For so many it takes years to finally figure out where they want to focus.
Your photography is beautiful, my one suggestion for landscapes is to try to find the soul in every shot you share. I don’t know if that makes any sense but the difference between landscape shots and landscape shots you want on your wall is soul! You want them to feel the heartbeat in the image.
For promoting your landscape work… To start out, I would suggest choosing a few favorites, maybe implore friends for feed back. Make up some beautiful cards and have a few prints done up really nicely and try selling them on Etsy and at local street markets. Often you can ask someone who already has a booth to let you showcase a few of your prints and give them a little toward the cost of the rental. (Just make sure you’re not asking someone who you’d be competing with).
And I think you’re right…. You don’t want to wonder about a dream. Go{4} it…. The worst that can happen. You don’t sell any but if you love them and are proud of them… That will be okay! Good Luck!! π