During lunch today at home with my kids, I said, "Kids, we are living in quite a historic time. Your grandchildren will someday ask you what it was like in 2020!" I asked them what they hoped they would be able to share from their experience.
They each shared how they want to improve themselves, goals set, ways they used the time at home to their advantage. For example, my soccer-loving daughter has been practicing by herself for hours each day in the backyard, learning how to juggle a soccer ball better. I am proud of my kids and the way they have handled this whole situation, and it's caused me to reflect on myself.
We often hear the saying' control what you can control.' All around the world, we are being asked to stay indoors, socially distance ourselves from others. We have no control over the situation, but we still do have control over what we do with our time.
So let's take some action. Let's set some serious goals to improve ourselves as photographers. Because once we do flatten this curve, and get back to work, we will be busy and it will be a lot harder to spend time on improving ourselves. Now is the time!
So here's what I am going to do. Take my plan if you wish. Make your own. Just do something.
Each week I will:
- Do one shoot inside my home. I will push myself to try new things, use my camera and modifiers in new ways, master techniques, and create images I can share.
- Watch at minimum 60 minutes each week of SLR Lounge educational tutorials. Love these. For more info about them, here's a link: https://www.slrlounge.com/staypositive/- they even have a sale going on right now.
- Read one book - 1 hour a day.
- April 5-11: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
- April 12-18: Measure What Matters by John Doerr
- April 19-25: As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
- April 26 - May 2: Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven
- Improve one aspect of my customer experience. (Website, Emails, Workflows)
- Do #MagModChallenge with my kids.
- Participate in live chats with other photographers spreading positivity and helping others in our industry that might be hurting.
- Send five video messages per day to friends and family, letting them know I am thinking about them.
- Write in a journal each week about what I learned and how I improved myself this week.
I choose to make April all about personal improvement. Please feel free to hold me accountable. Ask me how things are going.
I challenge you to do the same in April. Remember, control what you can control.
Our Team Wants To Help
The MagMod team knows there is a lot of hurt in the industry right now. Photographers live off photoshoots, and sadly, those just can't happen right now. We certainly don't want anyone to be buying new gear if they have other more pressing needs to be met.
However, if you have been planning to get some MagMod modifiers, we have been offering discounts on certain products each week to help out. In fact, today MagMod is temporarily dropping the price of the MagBox Pro Kit, which has been our most popular item for the last year, to the lowest price we have ever listed it here.
We don't have an endless supply, unfortunately, but we will keep that price out there until we sell out of what we have. We hope it helps out those that have wanted to buy it, have the means to do so right now and can take advantage of the sale.
Control What You Can Control
Ready to take on April? Ready to make it a month of self-improvement? Let's do this together!
I'll close with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who so eloquently said,
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge."
