Syncing Habits: Photo Management Meets Healthy Living
I have a friend who works for one of those healthy-living supplemental food companies. She is really awesome in sharing inspirational posts about her clients' successes in adopting the healthy lifestyle her company promotes. One of her consistent messages is that true transformation of the body requires a shift in daily habits. No fad diet can deliver the lasting impact we ultimately seek because, well, fad diets are just that - a fad.
So she encourages everyone who reads her posts and follows her on social media to make incremental changes. For example, if you are a regular latte drinker with a whole bunch of added sugar, try changing the milk to skim and use half the sugar. Over time, that small, yet consistent, change will amount to a positive effect on your body. If you can commit to a change that you’re willing to do daily, then over time, you’ll see positive results.
This mentality holds true in our photo collections.
So many of us have our phones overloaded with pictures that just look like clutter. We take a screenshot of something to send to our sister. Or, shoot a video of the kids at a recital to send to our mother. We then forget about those pictures and videos and they accumulate. Then, when we go into our Photos App, we can’t find anything because of all the extra “junk”.
The “incremental” change here is twofold:
1 - Look at your picture-taking habits. What does that mean? Well, remember the days of film when we were selective on the pictures we took because we were paying for film, and we were paying for development of that film? We are fortunate now to not have those expenses. So, we snap away. But, if you were to ask yourself, “What is my end goal with this picture?” you may think twice about taking it. Will you look at it in the future? Will it end up in a book or framed on the wall? If not, then maybe it’s better to enjoy the moment than take that picture. I have stopped taking multiple pictures of my kids’ recitals and school events. I snap one or two when they are front and center and then I put away my phone and enjoy their performance. I’m usually the only one not holding up my phone snapping pictures or taking video. But, I’m fully engaged and watching them perform. It’s about being in the moment.
2 - Declutter immediately. If you feel compelled to take 10 pictures of Johnny playing basketball, then be diligent to look through those 10 shots after the game and delete the ones where he’s out of focus. This daily habit of reviewing can remove clutter the moment it happens. Similarly, when we take a picture of something because it’s needed for a text, but then is no longer useful, delete it after it has served its purpose.
Be intentional when taking photos. Think before you snap.
Like my friend who works to help her clients live a healthy lifestyle, her goal is to encourage her clients to take baby steps that they can maintain. I have the same goal for everyone who is tethered to their phones. Be mindful of when you are taking photos, and delete immediately if you can. These two steps can be done daily and don’t require a big time commitment or long sessions in front of the computer organizing your photos. But, over time, you will see less mess and more masterpiece in your photos app.
Baby steps will get you to the finish line.
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