Accomplishments build confidence

I'm yet to understand my penchant for berating myself for not doing more with my writing - not writing enough, not writing faster, not querying as much as other writers insist, etc.

But yesterday, I remembered an exercise I once read about.

When you feel as if you are less than you want to be or should be, follow the trail that led you to where you are today.

So I am sharing with you some of the landmark accomplishments of my writing career:

1) Queried and received my first writing assignment - a monthly column in a print magazine in 1998. The gig lasted nine years and I had over 100 articles published.

2) Assigned a bimonthly decorating column at Designing Online that ran for two years.

3) Studied and attained my diploma in Freelance Writing.

4) Multiple articles ( about 10 since 2004) published in Simple Joy, an online newsletter.

5) Multiple decorating, inspirational/motivational, self-improvement, self-care, time-management and other lifestyle articles published in print and online publications.

6) Transitioned from part time to fulltime freelance writer in August 2006.

7) Queried and assigned a weekly column, Wright Words of Wisdom, in the WomanWise Magazine a Sunday supplement in the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. The column has been active since September 2006.

8) Conquered my first technology fear and created three blogs after years of shying away from this medium. You'll see links to them on the right under My other blogs.

9) Applied and was accepted to guest blog at Better Living Today where I publish the articles I write for my weekly column.

10) Conquered some more technology fears. Antonio Marques from Digital Folders walked me through several internet technologies to get my guest blogging venture up and running. After that I developed a kind of dogged determination whenever I encounter something, like a new feature for my blog. I work at it for hours if necessary until I get it. It is a real confidence boost to conquer the challenge.

11) Created a Wordpress blog to showcase my work, particularly articles from my column.

12) Gathered a host of online friends and loyal readers along the way. Their emails keep me on my toes, grounded and motivated to keep writing in the midst of doubts and fears and procrastination.

It's difficult to wallow in self-pity with accomplishments like these. I have to believe then that this writer hasn't done too badly after all.

With that, I'd better get about the business of writing.

What about you, what accomplishments have led you from the place where you dreamed of being a writer to actually writing and getting published? I'd love to read your stories.