First of all, here's a small reminder, this is my very first time writing a blog or let's say sharing something about what I feel publically. So if you find anything that I should work on, please be free to share your thoughts.
And I knew that if things were going to improve, I was the one responsible for making it happen- James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits)
The book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear is the main reason why I restructured my lifestyle and
it's the same reason that inspired me to attempt to write this blog. This book contains detailed steps to create a lasting habit and obtain remarkable results. I decided to read this book because it was constantly popping up in my social media feeds. James Clear has explained simple steps that will help us to develop good habits that will help us in the long run, he explains that getting 1% better each day is very impactful in the long run.
In this book James has mentioned 4 laws that will help us to build strong good habits that will last for a long period, those laws are as follows
1- Make It Obvious
2- Make It Attractive
3- Make It Easy
4- Make it Satisfying
I would highly recommend buying this book if you are looking to develop a good habit or even want to break a bad habit.
While I started reading this book, simultaneous I came across a wonderful project named "PROJECT50" by Som Studios. They have created various templates that we can use to assign our daily tasks over 50 days to see remarkable results.
As an Interior & Architectural photographer working in the industry for the last 5 years, the one thing I learned is that you have to be constantly productive, whether you are on a shoot or not. You have to be aware of the trend and able to fulfill your client's requirements. So to fill this gap of knowledge I started reading, reading books, articles, blogs, magazines, news, etc. Reading helps, read whatever that you find fun and easy, don't just read because others are reading it. For me, non-fiction works pretty well but maybe that will not work for you, figure out what suits your character and keep the reading game fun.
As a photographer, I would like to share a quote by Ansel Adams
You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have love.
This quote says that each and everything that we read, observe, and learn helps us in our respective fields of expertise. every genre is connected, that's why music or a painting may be a big inspiration to a photographer, while a photograph can inspire a musician to create something new. You just have to give a bit of focus and concentrate on the stuff that happens around you.
Slowing Down sometimes helps
Without having any prior knowledge about architecture my photographs depict the relationship between the space and the people living in it. This was only possible because I started learning more about my subject rather than the photography process, I started reading about the architects, their vision, their methods, how buildings are built, and so on. This helped me to understand the space more clearly and to create the desired output. I always use this method of slowing down myself and observing the scene in detail whenever I show up to a new space for a shoot, I walk around the space with the designer and try to understand their method and idea behind the design.
How small changes in my routine helped
The first thing as an entrepreneur is to create a routine for yourself. A routine that will keep you in action and motivate you in every aspect of life. Atomic Habits & Project50 helped me in creating a routine that suits my lifestyle and helps me to stay productive throughout the day. Using their templates and laws to create a habit that is hard to skip, I structured a routine for myself when I'm not shooting. My routine contains 8 simple tasks that I follow 6 days a week.
1- Wake Up Before 6 A.M
2- Exercise For At least 1 Hour
3- Do my Morning routine (1 Hour of No Distraction)
4- Read At Least 10 Pages (It may be books, articles, magazines news, etc)
5- Dedicate 1 Hour to learning a new skill (for me its learning video editing software & Stock Market strategies)
6-Follow A Healthy Diet
7-Read One Article about Architecture (For you this may change to your desired interest)
8- Track your daily progress in a journal (This is something I'm struggling to stick to)
This routine helps me to stay active throughout the day and generate all that creative energy to be productive and acquire new knowledge. What I try is to follow this set of rules to keep the streak alive, during the time of shoot sometime the shoot lasts more than two days then I try to restart this cycle as soon as possible because as James said that "Never Miss Twice", Missing one is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit. Making temporary changes provides a temporary solution, hence you have to focus on changing your system, changing who you are, and changing into what kind of person you want to be.
When you're consistent and you finally get the achieved goal, you learn that nothing can be built overnight, and you learn to put one brick at a time to build your empire.- Elsa Majimbo