celebrating our successes

As a freelance writer and author, I pretty much work in isolation, as do many freelance creators. It can sometimes be hard to keep our spirits up and forge forward against unknown odds or outcomes. I’m sure that’s particularly true for those new to the business, but it even affects us old-timers from time-to-time. (I’ve been freelancing since 1993.) Last month, during Blog Jog Day, I won a year’s membership to the Working Writers Club, a marvellously motivated group of writers under the auspice of Suzanne Lieurance, a coach for writers who want to make a successful career of their writing. A very valuable tool I learned from Suzanne right out of the gate was to create a “success journal” in which we are to record our progression toward our goals. I took most of the summer off to pursue recreational goals, so I introduced the success journal to my desktop this week and recorded the highs from the first 2 weeks of this month.

I admit to being wowed! As I am a Gemini, and value the personal part of my life equally to any professional goals I  may set and achieve, my success journal will include the achievement of goals I may set in Toastmasters and other volunteer/personal activities as well as monumental moments on the home front. My first entry celebrated the successful organizing of a birthday dinner for my husband’s 80th birthday. (Yes, he is quite a bit my senior.) He didn’t want a party or anything big. I knew I had to have the event in a venue where the audio would be favourable to quiet conversation and the ambiance was inviting. I was very pleased with the evening a group of us shared at the Maple Tree Restaurant in Selkirk, Manitoba and Reg was thrilled with the presence of close friends, family and neighbours who joined us for the celebration. On September 7th, I flew to Toronto for business and pleasure. The trip began with a 2-day retreat of writer gal pals, during which we time we ate, drank and shared much, invigorating me for the 2 days of board meetings which were to follow. I also met with a fellow travel writer whose upcoming book will be most complementary to mine. We shared ideas and hope to hold some joint events to promote our books. The Toronto trip was a tremendous success on all counts. The day following my return, I had to drive to Beausejour, Manitoba, where I was hired to provide a 2-hour presentation based on my book, “Before You Say Yes … A Guide to the Pleasures and Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards.” The group to whom I was presenting is the Eastman Senior Citizens Council, comprised of the executives of 12 seniors groups from throughout Manitoba’s Eastman Region. The presentation was a success and I was thanked by the organizers for helping their members refocus and better face the challenges they have been experiencing with respect to member recruitment. And on Friday, September 16th, I was invited to be a guest on the “Your Life Unlimited” show on CJOB ’68 radio hosted by Stephanie Staples, a fellow Toastmaster. Stephanie’s show focuses on the positive things in life and feeding your passions. It was a pleasure for me to speak to her about my passions for volunteerism, writing and chocolate (my 3 areas of expertise.)

So that’s the first 2 weeks of entries in my Success Journal. Do you have a success journal?  Has it helped you keep focused and moving forward toward the achievement of your goals? If you don’t have a success journal, how have you been documenting/recording your successes? Please share your ideas with our great community right here in the tribe. I ‘d love to hear about them, and wish you more successes and smiles.