We are already half way through 2011!! Wow, time definitely is flying by.

Every year I set new goals. Some are simply health and fitness related, others are goals that lead me closer to my career and life goals. Each are important and intertwined. Years ago I set my own personal career goals based upon my passions - I'll touch on those in a bit. As far as my larger aspirations, it's taken a while to realize them and some are still in place for the future. As for my short term goals, it's exciting seeing them come to fruition each year.

Do your short term goals direct your life path toward a bigger goal or are they short term such as "I want to be in shape for the summer"? Regardless, they are important in two ways. One, the feeling of success in achieving a goal is significant, and secondly, you will be in a better place having achieved your goal.

Years ago I set out on attaching my career to my passions. Many of my goals were small, but they played an important role in the bigger picture. Through personal experience, these three steps were crucial in allowing me to make a living from my passion.

1) I identified my passion. This is the easy part. What is it you love to do? Is there something you could see yourself doing, day in and day out without it ever occurring to you that this is "work".

2) I analyzed every possible scenario. I played out the possibilities as I set short and long term goals for myself. Was it possible to achieve what I wanted? How hard would it be? What would I have to give up in the process? In a perfect world, the journey would be sunshine and rainbows but we all know that fairytales are wishful thinking. Despite hardships, I had set my small steps in place. Each goal I met made my drive forward that much stronger.

3) I live and breathe my passion. I have been immensely flattered to hear that at times I have inspired others. Those stories reiterate the importance I found in following my dreams. When you live and breathe something, the Law of Attraction says you will succeed. Staying positive and confident is vital.  I personally believe that God rewards those that are sincere and driven. Every day, I focus a reasonable portion of time towards my goals and although at times my path changes, the end goals still stay the same.

There are many tips to keep in mind as you recognize the steps you have to follow for yourself but these are a few of the ones I consider most important.

- Balance is the key to life. Don't do anything dramatic. If you are in a relationship or have a family, always make that your priority or your passion will be that much more difficult to achieve. Don't take those important to you for granted.

- Keep your aspirations realistic. Look at those who are successful and learn from them. Many are open to sharing their passions with you. Don't cut corners, or step on toes. Always practice ethical behaviour. After the business side, success is largely reliant on personality and your ability to deal with those in the field you're passionate about.

- Along the way, be sure that your passion begins to make an income. At the start, you can be fairly flexible, but at some point, the business aspect will take on a larger importance as it becomes your primary source of income. At this point, many people let go their dream and play it safe. Succeeding in photography and becoming a professional photographer takes good business sense, great interpersonal skills, technical skills, and guts. Most photographers will never take the step to become professional since stepping out and leaving the security of another job behind is not easy. It's a competitive world that requires focus every day of the week.

- Instead of protectionism, try to be open to working with others. Don't let ego get in the way. You will run into enough egos in your journey but let them slip by. You don't need to be held back by any distractions or negativity. Provided others behave ethically, it can be useful to explore and discuss ideas, and at times team up towards larger goals.

These points and tips are based on personal experience. For each person they will differ but I believe the foundations will be similar. I'm going to share a little bit of my story as I'm often asked how my photography career began in this industry. Straight up, I was driven by my passion for bodybuilding, martial arts and art. I wasn't money motivated then nor am I now. I don't do it for fame or to meet anyone in particular - I do it because I love what I do. So the short answer would be, I followed my passion.

The long story is, I accomplished this through hard work, focus and dedication. In grade school, my ambition was to join the armed forces. I distinctly remember my mom saying "over my dead body". That didn't deter me from training and aiming to get into great shape. Since the age of 15 I have been involved in the bodybuilding and martial art industry. At 15 I would train with the provincial bodybuilding champions and I learned a great deal through them and the provincial power lifters I idolized at that influential age. I first started taking martial arts when Kenpo Karate was introduced into my high school. I loved it and practiced in my own "dojo" I set up in the basement of our house. My passions were born.

I still remember the first bodybuilding magazine I bought. The 1988 September Flex issue featuring IFBB Pro bodybuilder Bob Paris. In the years that followed high school, I worked as a personal trainer, taught group weight training classes and managed a health and fitness center.

Fast forwarding into the new millennium,  I followed my dad's interest in photography. Always having been artistic in school, it seemed a natural evolution to pick up a Nikon. Within 3 months I was invited into the APPA and PPOC which was flattering but I declined. My dream was to work towards a top position with a prestigious industry magazine. I took the steps over the years to do so and now I find myself exactly where I pictured myself. I also decided to revisit the idea of being a part of the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) and have recently been accepted once again.

I'm not sharing a portion of my story for myself but rather to show that following your passion, making smart choices, networking, being genuine, and professional and you too can make a career out of any ambition you decide to work towards.

Perhaps you have set 2011 as the year to step into the role, to break out of your shell, or to lay the ground work and start taking baby steps forward. Regardless of where you are at, moving forward is key. At times it may feel you are being knocked down, stepped on, or mislead or misunderstood, but as long as you don't lose focus, as long as you maintain positivity, you will find yourself inching closer and closer. The common saying is, "anything worth having, is worth fighting for" and this is very true. If you have a passion that is real and you are a positive focused individual, I have no doubt you will reach your dreams. 2011 is where it starts for some and where it continues for others.

I wish each of you the most out of life as we roll through the summer. Let's take it day by day, week by week, month by month... start today!!

In health and fitness,

DF