Hatching a Plan

I have been whining a lot lately about my job.  I’m frustrated about my work load.  I’m frustrated that many of my friends and classmates are becoming partners and I still have to put someone else’s name on a status report and have little to no client contact.  I feel that at this point in my career I should have more control over what I do and how my cases are run.  I have a degree in entrepreneurship, so having to report to someone for my entire career was never something that appealed to me.  This is why I have been toying with the idea of opening my own firm.  I know that becoming a photographer or a writer is not going to happen overnight.  What am I going to do in the meantime?  How am I going to make it through another two or five or more years as an attorney?

Yesterday I was avoiding doing my work by reading all of the blogs I subscribe to.  I read this post on GOINGPRO (a blog focused on giving advice to photographers aspiring to become professionals) listing five tips about actually making the switch.  It was as if the post were written specifically for me.  I realized that the change I need is not within my current profession.  Well, I mean, it is in that I need to find a new one, but not as far as changing jobs within that profession.  What I need to do is take proactive, concrete steps towards becoming a photographer.  And these five tips, perfectly packaged in a relatively short blog post, are going to help me do it.

I decided that I needed a plan – a “turning pro” plan.  Long term goals, short terms goals, the whole works.  I need to sit down and properly assess HOW to turn this into reality.  It’s not a plan that will come together overnight.  It may take a few weeks or months.  But it’s necessary to put this type of effort in early on.  It will be my business plan.  I can do that, even if the last business plan I drafted was for an undergraduate class many years ago (it did get me into a business plan competition).  I’m even going to use my new iWork programs to put it together.  It will be so official!

There were two tips in particular that struck chords with me.  First, scheduling time every day – even if only fifteen minutes – to take pictures.  I have not been doing that.  I have been developing a (bad) habit of taking a lot of pictures over the weekends or at lunch one or two days a week when I “have time”, and then using those for my posts throughout the week.  I try to take a new picture every day for the Daily Shoot assignments, but sometimes I find a picture I’ve already taken that fits the assignment or I run out of time and don’t complete the assignment (at least that’s the excuse I give).  I know that defeats the purpose of the assignment.  So, from this point forward, at least fifteen minutes every day taking pictures and setting up shots.

The second tip was especially resounding – gradually shed yourself of your day job.  This is something I can get on board with.  I am considered an independent contractor, self-employed (I don’t know that it would actually pass the test) and so long as I am considered such, I can make my own hours.  The first step in my plan is to start working only four days a week.  I should be able to bill the same amount of hours in four days without much trouble.  I won’t have to lose any income, but I will gain so much time.  Having one full day to focus on taking photos, editing, and educating myself will be huge.  I also think it will help my concentration at my day job.  Even if it means spending a couple extra hours at the office on those four days, knowing that I have a day off to focus on something I love will make the time there more tolerable (hopefully).

I know it’s going to be work to hatch my plan, but I’m excited about the prospect and what it ultimately means.  I am a person who likes lists and to-do items, and I love being able to check off tasks as they are accomplished.  It’s a visual report of my progress. Yes, I was one of those kids that lived for “gold stars” in school.  I plan to start earning them again.