I love participating in children’s author Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days of Christmas for Writers as part of my year-end reflection and new year goal-setting process. Day 3 of the series is an opportunity to reflect on our successes during the past year.

Here is my professional success list for 2023:

• I signed a contract for a new picture book and delivered the final manuscript text.
• I drafted an informational fiction picture book I’ve had in my head for quite a while (but am still working on).
• I re-envisioned and re-drafted an older informational fiction picture book manuscript I’ve been working on for a long time (and am still working on).
• I finished revising a nonfiction picture book manuscript.
• I took Elana K. Arnold’s Revision Season course and did several revision passes on my first-ever novel (and still have more revising to do).
• I did a ton of promotion for my new books, You Are a Honey Bee! and You Are a Raccoon!
• I delivered many school visits and appearances.
• I updated my school visit presentations.
• I updated my website with the new book information and speaking details.

Personally, I also:

• spent a lot of quality time with my adult children,
• volunteered as a naturalist with my city’s parks department,
• volunteered in a variety of roles with Citizens Climate Lobby, including lobbying Congress (twice!) to take action to protect our climate,
• got CPR certified, and
• took not one but two dream vacations!

I often feel like I’m not getting enough done, like I’m not working hard enough, like nothing is happening. It’s good to look back and see, wow, actually, it was a pretty good year!