It was shortly after my first son was born that I began to get seriously interested in photography.

I had all these photos of him, but they had been taken on my iPhone 4. And honestly, they were not good photos.

So in the fall of 2012 I bought an Olympus M43 camera, and began learning more about photography.

In the 7.5 years since then, my excitement and love for photography has only grown. In fact, these days I often find myself thinking more about photo-related creativity rather than writing-related creativity.

Our home is full of original photos that I have taken. They are printed and framed in pretty much every room. But I am eager to learn more, to practice, and to make more photos.

I know that as I pursue this craft and this hobby over the coming years, I have so much more to learn and so many more opportunities to do my best work. I have no doubt that my best photographs have not yet been taken.

. . .

Whatever your craft — the good news is that the best is yet to come.

Whatever it is that you are pursuing, the best days of it are still to come.

But it’s not guaranteed.

You need habits and routines that will move you forward.

I like to call these “lifestyle practices”.

With good lifestyle practices then, as my friend James Clear says, time becomes your ally.

With Finances: For example, with a good financial practice of living within your means while saving and investing, then over time your financial position will improve. Time becomes your ally in wealth building.

With health: If you have a healthy diet and consistent workout routine, then over time your physical health will continue to improve. You will grow stronger, and stay healthy. Time becomes your ally in living a healthy life.

The same is true in your career, your relationships, your side-hobbies, and your inner-personal life.

Take again my example of photography. By having a regular routine of taking photos, editing them, sharing them, printing them… it means that over time I will grow as a photographer. Time becomes my ally in doing creative work.

And that is why your best work — be it design, songwriting, books, videos, business, et al. — it is still ahead of you. Because with good lifestyle practices, time is your ally.