365 Photo Project | I did it! | Sarasota Photographer

I have a confession. I’m a horrible procrastinator and an even more horrible project finisher. I’m a great starter. Finishing? Not so much. So when I started a 365 photo project on January 1st 2015, I had little belief that I’d actually finish. But look at me….I did it!

I completed my very first 365 photo project! Woot!

And here we are already 5 days into 2016 (see above, re: procrastination). My intent was to post this on January 1st along with the 859084376 other bloggers with inspiring New Year’s wisdom. But, well, that would have been so out of my character. To be honest, completing this project left me feeling a bit let down. (see above, re: project finishing). Perhaps my aversion to finishing is related to that let down feeling I’ve experienced every time a show closes, or a big concert ends. You work so hard for so long and just like that, it’s all over. So naturally, I posted a photo on January 1 – 1/365 – I don’t know how far I’ll get, but for now, I’ll continue to post my 365 Photo Project photos to Instagram for as long as I feel inspired.

And what about New Year’s resolutions anyway? This is the time of year that the gyms are packed, you can’t find a head of broccoli in the grocery store (seriously, this happened to me last night, what the heck?!), and Facebook news feeds are exploding with promises of a NEW YOU! What the heck is wrong with the old you? My good friend Meadoe summed it up perfectly in her New Year’s post over at Meadoe Out on a Limb.

However, if we approach resolutions from a place of negativity, they become self defeating prophesies. I tell myself, “I’m fat. I need to lose 10 lbs.” That’s not a goal. That’s a statement of self-hatred masquerading as a goal. Instead, our goal should be to take care of ourselves. We should be patient and speak kindly to ourselves. Instead of hating on myself, I should say, “I love my body. Instead of filling it with Golden Oreos, I’m going to take care of it by fueling it with what it needs (i.e real food that is made of food).” That goal comes from a place of love. With that goal, every time I choose good food over junk, I win and I will feel better. If I keep doing it, I will probably lose weight. 10lbs doesn’t matter. It’s a number on the scale – my relationship to gravity. That’s it. It doesn’t make you a happier or a better person.

Preach it, Meadoe. This is why we are friends. Even if we sometimes eat Golden Oreos together.

If you’re still playing along, here are my December images from my 365 Photo Project. All images are posted to Instagram and shared each day. Then check out the fun video of 365 days of photos! What an instant and great reminder of what a fantastic year it was. Thanks for reading, friends. It’s been a great journey!

365 photo project using Instagram by Ristaino Photography a Sarasota senior photographer