Count Your Blessings: Celebrate Your Accomplishments
Many authors live in the future, in a time when their stories are written and readers are clamoring for more, or for a time when you have already written and are enjoying the fruits of your labor.
I know I fall into this category. LOL
So, one of the things I’ve been learning to do is count my blessings, and recognize my accomplishments.
On this first day of the year, along with my husband I like to record my accomplishments. He and I do it together because we’re each other’s best cheerleaders.
I hope you’ll share some of your accomplishments with us here in the comments, or at least to yourself. As I draft this list below, I’m getting a little teary eyed… Look at all you did, Beth, I whisper to my heart. Look and appreciate…
Here’s some of the things I am most proud of this year:
Products and Events
- I released the e-book, Twitter for Authors
- I presented about Twitter for Authors at the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy
- I started the new digital magazine, Author Entrepreneurship Magazine
- I produced a successful East Bay Writer’s Weekend: Write Your Book in 2012 in Oakland, CA
- I presented at FEM Talks twice
- We created and released a new cover for Overcome Writer’s Block
Writing
- I started drafting a paranormal romance novella and a paranormal romance series.
- I edited Book 2, Henrietta and The Dragon Stone, due out Spring 2013.
- I edited Twitter for Authors. 🙂
- In January 2012, Book 1, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, was awarded Grand Prize as Best California Indie Author.
Health
- I started Capoiera class.
- I joined the Healthy Writers Club, and posted regularly on this topic.
- I started Couch-to-5K training.
Travel
- I traveled to Italy and France.
- Ezra and I went to LA to the Men of Mystery conference.
- We visited Monterey for the day, and had a weekend getaway in a small town south of Santa Cruz with friends.
Blogging
- Writer’s Fun Zone welcomed new and continuing Guest Bloggers: Faith Van Horne (Exercise and Writing); Kay Keppler (On Writing and Editing Scenes and Other Fun Stuff); Aletta de Wal (Artist Entrepreneurship); Ezra Barany (Tips on Marketing and Writing); Kelley Way (Literary Law); Annmarie Miles (Blogging Tips); Wyatt Bessing (Games, Play, and Writing)
- Guest blogged on Alara Castell’s blog on “How to Use Facts and Scientific Studies for Writing Online”
With Clients
- I ran a blog tour in celebration of Sarah MacLaughlin’s e-book release, What Not to Say: Tools for Talking With Young Children.
- I ran a blog tour for Shannon McKenna’s latest romantic suspense novel, One Wrong Move.
- I’m running still a blog tour for YA fantasy author, Wendy D. Walter’s first book, Ambril’s Tale.
- I worked with British indie publisher Attica Books promote their new authors and helped them develop marketing strategies.
- I started a group coaching and mentoring program in support of authors’ success and am really enjoying it, more than I thought I would.
- I coached healer Jeri Lawson in the writing and editing of her blog posts.
- I coached, and edited posts and other writings for Integrative Healer Michelle Alva.
- I coached and advised children’s book expert Mira Reisberg on strategic online marketing.
- Ezra and I helped publish Rita Kuhn’s memoir, Broken Glass, Broken Lives: A Jewish Girl’s Survival Story in Berlin, 1933-1945
- I helped publish Sharon Ryals Tamm’s novel, FireGrrl.
On a Business Development Level
- I worked with wonderful professionals who help make my business run:
Michelle Geary, Bookkeeper, Editorial Assistant and Marketing Assistant Extraordinaire
Carissa Weintraub, Author Marketing Assistant & Creative Buddy
Peter J. Ferguson, Creative Compatriot, Coaching Buddy and Web Guru
Ezra Barany, Graphic Designer, Book Designer, Creative Support, and Most Excellent Husband
Anastasia Pergakis, Super Speedy Ebook and Book Layout Support - I created a menu of offerings.
- I did over 50 Complimentary Sessions. Wow! (It’s amazing what I discover when I look back!)
- I completed my NLP Master Practitioner training and received my certification at NLP Marin. This accomplishment, learning, and healing is still sinking in.
I’m humbled and awed by what I accomplished this past, and I didn’t even list everything 🙂 I’m also a little sheepish, because I don’t want to seem like I’m bragging. Isn’t that interesting?
What blessings can you count? What did you accomplish that you’re proud of in 2012? You can only say positive things about yourself in the comments. Leave the ranting for another post!
Sounds like a fun year! Have never traveled to Europe yet but would love to. And capoeira looks so great! I’ve done other forms of martial arts but never tried this. I consider myself a writer but not a published one (yet) so I have to remind myself about my accomplishments and gratitude even if I may sometimes think I’m not a real writer.
Janet, Thanks for stopping by. Well, you’re a writer if you write! What martial arts have you done?
Wow! What a great year! I am so impressed about the capoiera and well, everything else. Keep going. I know you’re going to have a banner year in 2013.
Thanks Liz!
Such wonderful accomplishments! Way to go! I think I might do the same thing – actually write them down. I just sort of thought about what I got done this year in my head but writing them down seems like a great way to really cement it that you did great!
And thanks for the mention as well! It has been wonderful and an honor to work with you. You’ve introduced me to some amazing authors and really helped my own business grow. I can’t thank you enough!
Here’s to 2013 being the best ever – we’ll see if we can make that list twice as long!
Anastasia, Yes, write your list! And share it with us when you do. 🙂 It’s been a pleasure working with you too. May 2013 been awesome and the best year ever for you, too!