The top 5 things holding you back from becoming a successful photographer

business

If you’ve read my previous blog post on why changing your mindset is the first step towards being a successful photographer, you already know that changing your perspective is all it takes to open up new possibilities.

The next step is identifying the top 5 things that are holding you back from being a successful photographer, and how you can work through them!

You’re waiting for the “perfect” moment to make your move

Sorry to break it to all the perfectionists out there, but there will never be a “perfect” time to do anything. If you want to get anywhere, you need to focus on progress, not perfection.

You might only be able to do something at 70% or 80% – a good example is your website. You might think, “Well, I don't have all the photos I want yet, it doesn't quite have the vibe I like, and I don't have my logo yet,” but it doesn't matter because an imperfect website is better than no website at all.

If you can turn your mindset around from, “I need to have xyz before I launch,” to “I will give it my all and I will launch on this date,” you’ll be much farther along, because done is 10 times better than perfect.

You’re stuck in “research” mode.

I want you to avoid paralysis by analysis, also known as, “I'm still doing research.”

That’s a great way to never get things done! You're researching the competition, you're making a list of all the website options available, you’re selecting your Instagram images, and then once you know which ones are best, then you'll start filling your feed.

It’s simply not serving you to stay in the analyzing stage. Some things might require you to make decisions, but you need to get into the habit of setting boundaries.

If you're saying, “I want to build my website, but I'll do it once I have my logo,” I want you to say, “I’ll pick a logo by this Friday.” Once you get there, that is your set boundary to take action and keep moving.

Your lack of confidence is preventing you from taking action

I want you to remember that doing is much more important than feeling confident. When you want to do things, you don’t necessarily have to feel confident about it first. You just have to do it! It's going to feel uncomfortable, but you need to push through it to start taking action.

A great example is reaching out to a dream client. You might not feel confident or ready, or feel like your portfolio isn’t good enough, but just doing it is going to be much better than waiting until you feel confident to do it!

You wait for motivation to kick in before taking action

Are you waiting to feel motivated or inspired before taking action? I don’t blame you, there’s this big idea surrounding motivational speakers and having to be motivated to do something.

What most people don't realize is that motivation is a terrible starter. If you wait to do something until you're motivated to do it, it'll take months, or even years. It might never even happen, because actual motivation comes from doing stuff!

If you work out or do any regular kind of gym routine, you’ve probably had days when you didn’t feel like going, but forced yourself to go anyway. Of course, once you're there and you get going, you end up getting into it!

Sometimes, all you have to do is give yourself an action and say, “I'm going to open my laptop, and then I’m going to sit there and do the work,” which is a lot more productive than staying in bed until you feel “ready” to start doing things.

If you're not feeling motivated to do something, you just need to find an action that’ll get you going!

You’re not holding yourself accountable

I want you to think about what you need to stay positive, accountable, and on track. What helps you? Is it a to-do list? Is it a check-in with yourself once a week? Think about your work and your life, and what makes sense for you.

I also really believe in having cheerleaders and people who can support you. Finding an accountability partner can really help you if you like working with others. Find a fellow photographer, or a willing friend who also has their own goals and work together!

Now that you know what’s holding you back, you can leave behind your fixed mindset for a growth mindset! By making conscious changes to your mindset, you’ll be free to take action towards your photography goals.