8 Tips for Project 365

One of my goals for 2010 is to complete Project 365. I started it this year. And then I got discouraged and finally gave up. Sad, I know, but the truth. And I’m hoping to do better this year. I don’t want to just DO Project 365. I want to ENJOY Project 365, be INSPIRED by Project 365, LOVE Project 365.

Here’s a little list of ideas I’ve come up with to help me stay motivated, so I thought I’d share them with you.

8 TIPS FOR PROJECT 365

1. Visual reminders — Keep your camera in a visible, easily accessible spot. Make little reminders to stick to your mirror or fridge or anywhere you frequent where you’ll see it.
2. Do Project 365 with a friend — Find a buddy so you can motivate each other.
3. Focus on everyday stuff — Waiting for that perfect picture? Don’t. Take photos of the everyday parts of your journey — the spilled milk, the tantrums, the silly smiles, the groceries, laundry, mowing the yard, etc.
4. Take your camera with you — Don’t leave it at home. If it’s too big or bulky, slip a small point-and-shoot into your purse or diaper bag.
5. Keep your camera battery charged — Rushing to take your picture a minute before midnight and then finding your battery is dead can be completely deflating.
6. Upload/organize your photos every few days — Last year I put all my pictures in a folder for the year. Then I’d look at the dates, and snag one from each day to throw into my Project 365 folder, so that when I went to scrapbook them, they were easy to find.
7. Choose now how you want to share your Project 365 — Maybe try a Project 365 blog where you post your pictures to share — add some text too, explaining the picture or telling a story. (Sites exist that will print your blog, so that’s something to think about.) Or create an album on your Facebook just for Project 365. Try printing the photos for a 365 brag book. Or, since you’re a digital scrapbooker, create layouts — 1 layout with 7 pictures, 2 pagers with 7 pictures, or maybe just your favorite picture from the week. If you do want to scrap each week, do yourself a favor and use templates — and don’t forget to do some journaling so the pictures mean something later. Whichever way you choose to document your project, pick something you’ll enjoy doing, so it doesn’t become a chore.
8. Make time to document your project — Daily is just not going to happen for me, but I know I could block out time on a Sunday, during nap time, to organize my pictures and scrapbook them. Or blog about them. Or upload them to Facebook.

I hope you’ve found this list helpful. Feel free to share your tips with me. If you’re looking for more ideas, check out Janet’s 4 Months and 11 Days … post on The Daily Digi.