An overly ambitious goal for the new year? Well, yeah, maybe...

I've never put much stock in new year's resolutions.
I suppose I've half-heartedly set some of the same lofty goals that so many others have each year but never stick to for very long. Like most of those people, I rarely make it past day one.
For example, this year I told myself I'd finally return to regular daily workouts beginning bright and early January 1st.
Riiiight...already blew that one.
Perhaps January 2nd would have been a more reasonable start date and it turns out I did fit in a three mile walk that evening. Tonight is another night. Time will tell if the workout resolution can be salvaged.

As I've just demonstrated, I am not exactly the most regimented or strong-willed person when it comes to any sort of routine activity, no matter how desirable or beneficial it's outcome might be. It is for this reason that my other goal for 2009 may seem slightly overambitious if not outright foolhardy.

But first, a little background information...
Last new year's day I had considered beginning a photography project that would involve taking photos, one per day, for 30 days based on a similar undertaking by Minnesota photographer Jim Brandenburg whose self-assigned 90 day photo project produced a collection of magnificent nature and wildlife images that was published by National Geographic magazine and later became the subject of the book Chased By The Light.





Now, I'm no Brandenburg but I found the idea intriguing and thought it might force me to get out and shoot on a regular basis but, as with goals of new year's past, I neglected to get clicking on January 1st, then told myself I'd give it a try on February 1st by which time I just sort of forgot about the whole thing.

Well, this year is going to be different! (hey, save your dubious smirk, I mean it this time!)
Not only have I resolved to begin a project that will involve taking at least one photo per day but have actually begun the project on day one...a small victory in itself.

But unlike my original plan to shoot for one month or Brandenburg's 90 day photography mission, I plan to take things up a notch. In fact, I hope to atone for all my past new year's resolution failures with a venture that will require a new image every single day for this entire year.

At this writing I have managed to keep the project alive for an astonishing three days. Will I be able to reach my goal of 365 images in 365 days? A part of me is strongly committed to this goal but already I'm realizing this will not always be easy and that the entire project could be ruined by a single day's laziness.

However, I feel that by making my intentions public through this blog, I greatly increase my chances for success because to fail privately is one thing but to fail publicly is an entirely different matter. Call it self-imposed tough love!

With that said, I embark on my mission...wish me luck!