My 2026 Memory Keeping Projects (And How I’m Making Progress Without Overwhelm)
If you’re anything like me, your phone is full of moments you never want to forget, everyday memories, milestones, and the in-between moments that matter more than we realize. But without a plan, those photos tend to pile up, live on a screen, and quietly get overlooked. And that’s not what I want for our family’s story.
That’s why every January I pause and intentionally plan my memory-keeping projects for the year ahead. Not to add pressure or another thing to manage, but to make sure our memories don’t get lost in the scroll. I want them printed, shared, and enjoyed now and in years to come. This isn’t about perfection or keeping up with anyone else’s system. It’s about choosing what matters most in this season and creating a simple plan that actually works.
So today, I’m sharing my 2026 memory-keeping projects: what I’m focusing on and how I’m breaking things into manageable steps. If your photos feel overwhelming or you’ve been telling yourself you’ll get to them “someday,” I hope this gives you both inspiration and permission to start right where you are.
How I Set My Memory Keeping Projects Each Year
I always start with the fun part: dreaming. I sit down with a notebook and write out every memory-keeping idea that comes to mind: family yearbooks, photo albums, printed books, digital backups, photo gifts, all of it. Nothing gets filtered or judged at this stage. Getting everything out of my head and onto paper brings instant clarity and helps me see what’s actually possible instead of what just feels overwhelming.
Once the ideas are out, I shift gears and ask a more important question: What matters most in this season? There’s always one non-negotiable for me. our Family Yearbook, but everything else depends on what our family needs right now. This year, that focus is clear. With Carson graduating, preserving his childhood memories has moved to the top of the list. When your priorities are aligned with your season of life, it becomes much easier to say yes to the right projects and no to the rest.
From there, I break big ideas into small, realistic steps. Instead of tackling everything at once, I think in months or chunks and leave room for flexibility. Some seasons are full. Some projects take longer than expected. And that’s okay. I’ve learned that steady progress beats perfection every time, and a simple plan with grace built in is what keeps me moving forward.
The Habits I’m Keeping All Year Long
Before I ever get into specific projects, there are a few simple habits I keep in place all year long. These rhythms don’t take much time, but they make a huge difference in keeping photo chaos from creeping back in. Think of them as gentle maintenance rather than big, overwhelming tasks.
First is my Daily Delete or Weekly Delete when life gets busy. I quickly scan through recent photos and delete anything blurry, duplicated, or not a favorite. If I miss a day (or several), I give myself grace and catch up weekly. This one habit alone keeps my photo library manageable and makes every future project easier.
I also stay consistent with our Family Yearbook weekly pages. Each Sunday, I spend about 15 minutes choosing highlights from the week so everything is ready to print when the time comes. And finally, I share favorite photos to our digital frame and send them to family members’ frames, too. It’s a small habit that helps us enjoy our photos now, not someday, and reminds me that memory keeping is meant to be lived, not just stored.
My Big Focus for January–May: Carson’s Childhood Albums
Every year, there’s one memory-keeping project that rises to the top. The one that feels both meaningful and time-sensitive. For 2026, that project is creating Carson’s childhood albums as he prepares to graduate. This isn’t just about organizing photos; it’s about honoring his story and preserving the years that shaped him.
I knew this was going to be a big project, which is exactly why it became the priority. Instead of letting it linger in the “someday” category, I chose to give it focused time early in the year. By centering my energy on this one meaningful goal, I can make real progress without feeling pulled in too many directions.
From January through May, this is where my attention will be. Other projects can wait. This season is about slowing down enough to gather, protect, and preserve the memories of childhood before we step into what’s next.
Breaking a Big Project Into Manageable Chunks
One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that big memory-keeping projects rarely get finished when they live as one giant task. They get overwhelming fast. So instead of tackling Carson’s childhood albums all at once, I intentionally broke this project into four clear, manageable chunks. This keeps the process realistic and helps me build momentum as I go.
The albums are divided by season and stage of life: Birth–Age 3, Preschool–Ages 4–6, Grades K–6, and Grades 7–12. Each section will become its own photo book, which also works well with photo book printing limits and keeps each album focused and meaningful rather than rushed or overcrowded.
By working on one chunk at a time, I can fully finish each stage before moving on to the next. There’s something powerful about completing a piece of a big project; it creates confidence, clarity, and motivation to keep going. Progress doesn’t come from doing everything at once; it comes from choosing the next right step and starting there.
January Focus: Birth–Age 3
January is all about the very beginning. This month, I’m focusing on everything from birth through age three: the early years that tend to live in shoeboxes, envelopes, and old albums instead of our digital photo libraries. Most of the sorting is already done thanks to the work I tackled last year, which means now I can focus on the part that actually moves this project forward.
Right now, I’m scanning any pre-digital photos and photographing larger memorabilia and artwork so everything becomes digital. Once those images are scanned or photographed, I’m adding them into my Digital Photo Hub so they live in the same place as the rest of our family photos. Bringing everything into one system is what makes designing the album later feel simple instead of overwhelming.
The goal for this phase is to finish the scanning and photographing for this age range, design the photo book, and get it printed before moving on. One finished album at a time. That’s the rhythm I’m keeping this year: complete, enjoy, then move forward.
Leaving Room for Life (and Why This Approach Works)
After May, I’m intentionally leaving my plan a little open. Big projects have a way of taking longer than we expect, and I don’t want to rush something this meaningful just to stick to an arbitrary timeline. If Carson’s albums need extra time, that’s where my focus will stay. If there’s margin, I may begin sorting and scanning our family’s physical photos so they’re fully digitized. Either way, the goal isn’t to fill every month, it’s to make steady, thoughtful progress.
This flexible approach is exactly why planning my memory-keeping projects works so well for me. Having clear priorities keeps me from feeling scattered, while built-in margin keeps me from feeling behind. I always know what my next step is, even when plans shift. Progress happens because the plan is simple, not rigid.
What I’ve learned is this: memory keeping doesn’t need perfection to be successful. It needs intention, consistency, and grace. When you give yourself a realistic roadmap and permission to adjust, you stop feeling stuck and start seeing real progress, one finished project at a time.
Progress Over Perfection (And an Invitation to Join Me)
If there’s one thing memory keeping has taught me, it’s that small, consistent steps make a bigger impact than big, occasional efforts. Having a simple plan helps me keep moving, even during busy seasons, while flexibility keeps guilt out of the process. Checking off even one finished project feels far better than staying stuck in overwhelm.
These projects matter because the reward isn’t productivity. It’s connection. It’s flipping through albums together, seeing our boys light up when a book arrives in the mail, and watching our family’s story live somewhere beyond a phone screen. These aren’t just photos. They’re memories we get to revisit, share, and enjoy.
You can do this, too. It doesn’t have to look like my plan or anyone else’s. Maybe it’s one small habit or one meaningful project this year. That’s more than enough. If you want to follow along or share what you’re working on, come find me on Instagram @savvy_photo_solutions. I’d love to cheer you on and see the memories you’re preserving this year.