Soul Saturdays: Celebrate Your Milestones

Wow. Today marks one year since what I count as my first "official" published piece. Sure, my thesis, Linking Genesis to Castaway Narratives, can be found online, and I had a poem published in high school that my mom submitted for me titled "The Blur," a reference to experiencing high school hallways that I thought was "so deep" at the time. But, these were done with completely different purposes than my first Yahoo! article, Thanks to my High School Volleyball Coach.
This article surfaced online a year ago because I decided I wanted to start writing on the side while maintaining my full-time job teaching high school English. I had always wanted to write--articles, a novel, reviews, teacher materials--anything really, and producing this small piece was the first step to what has been an insane year.
I got the bug after this piece. I began creating content madly for Yahoo, then started seeking other places that would publish my work and hopefully pay me more than the pennies I earned from the Yahoo pieces. So, I contributed to Suite 101, Demand Media, and then decided to contact our local newspaper, Savannah Morning News, to see if they had any freelance needs. Luckily, my editor took a chance on me and gave me a weekly music column to take over back in February. I still love interviewing the bands and shaping an article that reflects their personality and beliefs and encourages readers to go listen to their music live.
Then in June, I went to my very first creative conference filled with writers put on my skirt! magazine. Claire Cook, author of many books including the well-known Must Love Dogs, spoke about being an art teacher until realizing sixteen years later that she was meant to be a writer. I also met a college student who was full of optimism and drive to become a writer right out of college, and their stories combined with the excitement I felt during that weekend propelled me to take a huge risk: quit teaching and write full-time. I even have my own "ideas" box thanks to Cook's suggestion, and it is filled with book ideas that I can't wait to tackle.

These past few months have not been easy or financially lucrative--yet. But, I have written a screenplay, two nonfiction book outlines, the first draft of my first novel, and hundreds of articles since then. I have businesses interested in me as their social media manager, I went on assignment for Forbes Travel and stayed in a swanky five-star hotel, and I was invited on a press trip to New Orleans last month. I write restaurant, activity, and business descriptions for two well-known travel websites, and I am also now an editor for South Magazine. I have no doubt that I made the right decision and will be a writer for the rest of my life--even if I have to do other jobs to help pay the bills.
That little Yahoo article a year ago started me on a completely different path, although I didn't know it at the time. I have never felt more excited than I do now to learn, perfect my craft, connect with other writers and creatives, and for what the future may hold. I no longer see work as something I count down the days to retirement to get away from; instead, I wonder how on earth I am ever going to get all the books and articles I have ideas for written in one lifetime.
So, whatever it is you want to do, do it. Start small. Paint one watercolor, write one article, attend one class. Take one small step TODAY that will propel you towards a future you are excited about, and then take another step tomorrow, and another. Pretty soon, your side dream will become your full-time dream, and then there will be no stopping you.
Good luck, and if you need an accountability partner, click to read more about how I can help you reach your goals. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME! ;)