Why You Need To Record Your Accomplishments

By Bonnie Boots

The hardest part of starting a new year is having to sort through the debris of the old year.

Tax records have to be gathered together for the annual accounting. Old files need to be sorted and either stored or disposed of. And all sorts of old business needs to be wrapped up.

This year, as I sorted through old files, I realized there was one vitally important record I'd forgotten to keep. And its affect on how I start my new year is dramatic.

I forgot to keep a record of my accomplishments.

For any freelance writer, one of the most important files is a “clip” file. Clips are literally clippings of the work you've had published in print. Print may include newspapers, magazines, books, reports, white papers or any other type of print material.

Freelance writers live and die by their clip files. Clips are what you show a prospective editor to prove to them that you have the talent and capabilities they need. The kind of work you can get and how much you will be paid is determined by the type of clips you can show.

I sold my first magazine article when I was still in high school, and from then on, I religiously recorded every accomplishment in my clip file. At the end of each year, I'd have a complete record of every professional accomplishment.

When I was seventeen, I ended the year with 2 clips in my file. I was massively proud of them.  As the years passed, that tiny file of 2 clips grew into an entire bookshelf of clips, along with a bio sheet and other records of accomplishment. And I ended each year by looking through them, celebrating and accessing what I'd achieved and imagining what I might do next.

Until last year. Last year was the first year that I concentrated solely on digital material.

Now I find myself packing away the old files and business of that year without any clear sense of what I accomplished. Because nothing appeared in print, I didn't put anything in my clip file. And now I have only a vague sense that I was busy --busier than I ever was while working for print publications. I produced more. Published more. Sold more. But all I have to show for it is my accounting records.

Without a folder filled with colorful print pages that show, by their date and illustrations, exactly what I made, much of the work I produced last year is lost to me.

My clips file is no longer important to me for marketing purposes. But it's only now that I realize how important it was to me for motivational purposes. Being able to flip through a colorful written record of my year's work gave me a strong sense of accomplishment. It helped me see, physically see where my work was strong and where it was weak. It helped me see where I could be most proud, and where I most needed to improve.

Most of all, it helped me have a sense of who I was and what I did in the last year that could inform and shape the coming year.

I lost all that by not keeping a record of my work.

This year, one of the first things I did was create a new folder named “clips.” In it, I created a folder for each month. As I finish each piece of work, no matter how big or small, I'll create a record of it, with screenshots and notes telling me when I made it, what it was for and any other information I have at the time.

I encourage you to begin this year with your own record of accomplishments. Creating a Squidoo lens is an accomplishment. Getting a web site online is a big accomplishment. Getting a sales page for your own product online is a huge accomplishment! These things should all be noted and recorded.

Whether you keep that record in screenshots and digital documents, or keep it in a handwritten journal is up to you. The important part is to keep a record, one you can look back on at the end of a year, even at the end of many years and say “There! That's what I did, and I'm darn proud if it!”

About the Author

Bonnie Boots is the publisher/editor of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to create their own products and market on the internet. Register for your free 1-year subscription at http://www.theinternetwizards.com