Six Months from Now
“Six months from now, you’ll either have six months of excuses, or six months of progress. The choice is yours.”
When I first came across that quote, my reaction wasn’t exactly positive. It struck me as one of those pseudo-motivational clichés you see on LinkedIn, usually followed by “rise and grind” advice about waking up at 5 a.m., working out, taking ice baths, journaling, and downing 50 grams of protein before conquering the day.
Honestly? I’m tired just thinking about it.
Those kinds of posts often feel hollow and a little judgmental. Maybe they resonate when you’re 25, but at this stage of my life, I don’t want to optimize every second of my day. And truthfully, who can (or wants to) keep that pace up consistently?
So, I dismissed the quote. But after a while, it crept back into my mind - and I started to see the value in it, at least in the context of working to improve my photography - at my own pace. I realized I do want progress, but on my terms. I don’t need 5 a.m. alarms or ice baths. I just need steady, intentional steps forward.
Here’s my simplified version of what progress in photography can look like:
Pick one thing to focus on, and spend a little time on it each week.
Improvement can come in 15-minute increments - you don’t need hours at a stretch.
Stuck on an editing tool? Watch a short tutorial and try it out on your own photo. Then try it on another photo, and then another photo.
New to an editor? Experiment with presets. Adjust them to your taste and you’ll learn in the process. (If you’re a Luminar Neo user, my Preset Mega Pack is built for exactly this—teaching you how different looks transform an image, and helping you develop your own style. And it’s got 50 presets in the pack.)
Feeling a little more ambitious? Try out an editing course to improve a certain aspect of your photography.
Read a good book on photography - just a chapter a day adds up. I have a few listed on my gear page.
Spend a few minutes studying photos you admire and ask yourself why you like them.
Write about photography in a journal or blog. Reflection sharpens your perspective.
Revisit an old favorite photo and re-edit it. You’ll notice how your eyes and skills have evolved since then.
Most importantly, have fun. Photography is art - it should inspire you, not stress you out. And it certainly shouldn’t involve a “rise and grind” attitude.
Six months from now, you will be further along. The only question is: how will your photography have grown, in a way that feels true to you?
👉 What’s one small step you want to focus on in your photography over the next six months?
