The "things" in a picture include both the things themselves and the negative spaces they leave behind; the foreground and the background; the colors and the shadows. If the "things" don't all work together, you don't have a good shot.
Weekend Warriors!
Taking the time to line up a shot, to imagine how it's going to look when you're done with it, to just sit there and think about what you're going to shoot next, is an amazing exercise in mindfulness.