Specializing in Seniors ~ Burnout... Ever been there?

BURNOUT… have you ever felt it?Have things become “routine” for you? Is your passion sort of fizzling out? If you’ve ever been there, it’s not a fun place to be, but let’s face it, burnout happens in our business.   I admit I’ve been there, recently.My life has been in non-stop motion for what feels like forever.I became a widow in August of 2009, and the sole provider for my family. In the midst of the loss of my husband and caring for my children, I focused intensely on growing my photography business.At the time, it was actually very helpful for me and it gave me something to focus on other than my loss and grief. But the truth is, I have been going non-stop as a widow, single parent to 3 teenagers and running a full time business for the past 5 years.Don’t get me wrong, it has certainly paid off. I am happy to say that my business has grown tremendously into something I am deeply grateful. I remember saying that my main goal in the Senior Market was to just accomplish some name recognition. That and many more blessings have occurred.   But recently, I hit a lull, my 5 years of working non-stop has sort of come to a head.I realized that I need to make some room for other areas of my life, like maybe HAVE a bit of a social life and TAKE a LITTLE time off.I know this post could also be about BALANCE between your work and personal life.But…. It’s about burnout. It’s about that feeling that you just don’t have it IN YOU to go out there and give your 100%So… I admit I was feeling that this year. Feeling tired. Feeling a little overwhelmed.So I wanted to share some very simple things I’ve done to help me get past this.I decided to use my Spokesmodel Program this year to try some NEW things. Things that would help REFRESH and INSPIRE me.So first off, I picked quite a few NEW AND EXCITING shooting locations. I went to several locations I have NEVER been to…This has been WONDERFUL! There is nothing like shooting in FRESH scenery! It INSPIRES and challenges me. In fact, I recently hunted HIGH AND LOW for a SUNFLOWER FIELD IN ARIZONA…NOT an easy venture. But I FOUND ONE.I have to admit, this was one of the BEST days of shooting – and SO incredibly refreshing!Next, try some things you have not yet tried. Even simple things like posing.So… there are some poses that I really don’t use very often. An example would be a laying down pose. In my area, my biggest competitor uses this classic laying down pose for EVERY SENIOR SHE SHOOTS… so I have stayed away from that pose on purpose, because of that.  HOWEVER, I recently “practiced” some new laying down poses that I could use that would be different. It was fun, challenging and refreshing.Using your models is great because you can “practice” these kind of things with them.Also, try some new editing techniques. Let’s face it, much of our time is spent on post production.So lately I have been doing some experimenting and I’ve been really pleased. Sometimes, we can try a new action or a new type of finish that can breathe a little life to our images. Freshen things up a bit. I’ve been adding a little matte finish that I LOVE…Lastly, just take a break. Give yourself some time if you possibly can. I’ve decided that I will take the entire month of December OFF from shooting – with the exception of a Spokesmodel Christmas Party that I plan on having. Sometimes we just need some rest. I’m going to focus on my family and the holiday and rest before the New Year…None of this is earth shattering information of course… just a part of my own journey of working through my own recent bout with some burnout and fatigue. It helped me add some freshness and excitement to my shooting and editing that has been rewarding.I certainly hope it has been a little helpful for you as well.Happy ShootingXo!Pati Pwww.patipakulisseniors.com