Daffodils in the sun. Background: Finger and dog blurred out.
A few days ago I tweeted that I got my 18th rejection for my 100 rejections spreadsheet. I included that I have set up a reward system and my first reward is when I reach the 22nd rejection of 2022. Many likes and retweets occurred. A few people commented and this one from Lisa and another one from Marc got me thinking about WHAT my reward might be. I like the idea of doing something non-food-related and inexpensive. It also made me realize that I never really celebrate when I DO get an acceptance. In fact, in January two pieces were published and aside from promoting them on social media, I really didn’t do anything to celebrate. I’m finding celebrating more and more important as my body and brain are still suffering from pandemic fatigue, burnout, and walking the fine line between optimism and realism.
So, what will I reward myself with when I received that 22nd rejection, some ideas:
A new tiny plant. I have a couple of tiny geometrical shaped pots I would love to fill and since they are tiny they don’t take up too much space. I”m not allowed to buy anymore orchids for a while.
Hmmmm. I’ve been trying to exercise more regularly and I wouldn’t mind some new scenery when I walk my dog of bike. Maybe I’ll create space to go to a park instead of my neighborhood.
As for the two publications I had in January, maybe this calls for an old fashioned on a heated patio somewhere with a friend!
I revised the Youtube channel of #Momswritersgroup today and checked out a couple of their vids. The one I watched was the craft books review. I had read about half of their suggestions and now I have a few more to check out. They had a video about aiming for 100 rejections! I didn’t get to finish it, but I plan to. Another one on my list is the one about giving yourself permission to write and mom guilt. I’m feeling that a lot right now.
What do you do to reward yourself or to celebrate when things are going well?