Goodbye July - Hello August - A belated mid year review

With the start of a new month and well into the second half of the year I've been doing some Deep Thinking.

Am I where I want to be?

If not, where do I want to be?

How am I going to get there?

How do I want to spend my time?

Perhaps this is a mid-life review (I have a Big Birthday coming up in October!).

So far this year has been one of the best yet! I've done most of the things I set out to do in the new year (but there's still a few things outstanding), I've learnt a lot, had some amazing experiences, feel I've got a better control on time management (there's still never enough) and I've never been so productive.

What I've realised this year is how much I thrive on excitement and having something to look forward to. It's almost like the more exciting things that happen, the more I want. I'm not satisfied with waiting for things to happen, I try and make things happen. I guess it boils down to having the life I want. I've got no ties (husband to consider/kids) except a mortgage. I feel that I'm in a great position to do all the things that I would like. Also, looking at the bigger picture, I want to have some great memories to look back on when I'm old! :D
But back to now....

July ended on a high with three great events in succession.

Last Thursday I made my way to London town to meet up with my Talk About Local colleagues for the Nominet Awards held in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Talk About Local were short listed in the Nurturing Powerful Local Partnerships category. Unfortunately we didn't win on this occasion, but it was great to be shortlisted and be in with a shot. It was a brilliant night all round. I'm really proud to be working with Talk About Local, doing a job I love with great team members.

Me, Will Perrin, Ellie Stoneley, Mike Rawlins, Clare White Sadly our Nicky Getgood wasn't able to attend the event due to illness and she was sorely missed.

It's always nice to have an excuse to dress up!

It was a 5am start on Friday morning and with just 3.5 hours sleep I made my way back to London for the Birmingham Social Media Cafe event. This is the second event I've run since being handed over the reigns and it went really well. There was a great turn out and lots of new faces too. I'm trying to spread the word and grow the event. If you have an interest in social media and want to meet other creatives and business in and around Birmingham, then this is the event for you! The next event is on Friday 26th August at the Birmingham Town Hall from 10am-midday. Hope you can make it! @birminghamsmc

Photograph by Charles Davis

With such a short sleep on Thursday night, I certainly made up for it on Friday night with eleven hours! I needed it and it set me up nicely on Saturday for a full day of wedding photography. Going back to my goals for this year, I'll be announcing my wedding photography services this month.

And now it's August!

I'm actually going to have a bit more free time this month and I'm deciding how to spend it. I'm aware that the month will fly by all too quickly. I'm going to re-view my to-do list and make a plan. At this point during the year I have realised I have reached my limit on the things I can take on, but not wanting to miss out on anything either I've scheduled in some 'leeway' time into my diary should something too good to turn down present itself. The leeway days I've already put in my diary in the last month or so have already proved useful. Before then I was filling each day of the week to the hilt (except Sundays, my day off), and that left me with little room for maneuver.

Here's to a happy, productive, exciting August for everyone! How are your new year goals going? :)