The #overlook365 Project - Making a Commitment

I've always been intrigued by people who take on projects or commit to something for any length of time - like eating at McDonald's for 30 days, living biblically, or just being happy for an entire year.

A couple of years ago, I moved to a new "old" house in one of the historic sections of Birmingham. Almost every day, I was finding something new or different in or around the house, so I decided to start sharing.  On January 1, 2014, I shared my first picture of the #overlook365 project.  My goal – share a photo, EVERY DAY OF 2014, of something fun or interesting in or around the house.  I like to think of it as my own “find art and happiness in your everyday surroundings” mission. 

As I worked on the project, I quickly realized it was much harder than I thought it would be!  Here are a few things I learned:

• First, I’ve never been a photographer, but with my iphone, I have become a little obsessive over getting just the right angle, using the right filter, etc.
• Sometimes, it’s the spontaneous picture that ends up being brilliant (my description). 

• For some reason, I didn’t think it would be a big deal to find a different photo for 365 days IN A ROW.  I had to plan ahead and get a “bank” of photos to post whenever I was on a weekend trip or out of pocket.

Even though it was a challenge, it was a lot of fun to find new things to share through these photos.  When I got to the end of the 365 days, it was awesome to have the first year in our house documented.

Making the commitment out loud and on line has definitely kept me going.  It certainly gives credit to the old saying, write down your goals and you’re more likely to achieve them.  I think writing them down AND sharing them in “public” is the key.  If people know you’re trying to accomplish something, you’ll want to show them you can – and you’ll have built in support (or naggers) to help you along the way. What have you been wanting to try? Find a new something to be passionate about – and start sharing it!

If you’d like to see some of the #overlook365 project, check out my instagram: @maddoxmk or twitter, @mkmaddox.