I’m gonna be really honest and tell you it was hard to come up with 100 things for this year. I really pushed myself to do a LOT in my author business and I didn’t get anywhere close to where I hoped to, leaving me both exhausted and frustrated these last few months. But there are still plenty of good things, as I was reminded by making this list.
(Inspired by Austin Kleon’s similar posts from the last few years)
In no particular order:
Hanging out with Spencer. We are just the best of friends and always have the best time. I feel very lucky.
Neighborhood walks with a podcast
Desk food. Trail mix and mustard pretzels and other things that I don’t eat otherwise.
Big cleaning around the new year. Decluttering my office and vacuuming and putting away Christmas decor and clean sheets and that lovely citrus scent in our floor cleaner.
Trader Joe’s seasonal treats
Regular texts from a dear friend who was reading through my entire backlist and excited for the next one.
~100 Barre classes. 250+ total over the last three years
Focusing on ONE major goal and letting everything else come from that.
Eating better. Sleeping better. Feeling better.
Time and space to take off work when I fell sick (twice this year significantly)
Planning 1 marketing event for each month. Decisions made in advance so I can save my brain space later.
Vanity Fair magazine
Readers emailing specifically to ask when they could buy my next book. I have actual fans and it’s … lovely. Weird. But lovely.
Writing ~350k words of fiction. Six new books released under my pen name.
My books chosen for a variety of Amazon-sponsored promos. Signs they are loved by readers.
Space heaters.
Puzzles constantly on our dining room table. New ones and borrowed ones and personalized ones and re-dos.
Neighbor Dad doing my yard work and shoveling my snow. I literally do not know what I would do without him.
Neighbor Mom giving us homemade cheesecake and homegrown veggies, and gifting us a wind chime after we did them a small favor.
Finally reading books that have been sitting on my TBR for years
Re-reading books I already know I love
More peace. More quiet. More stability.
Handheld fan kept in my purse (I overheat v easily)
Supporting author friends (I spent way too much money on non-fiction and courses this year)
My kindle. Such a gift to be able to carry so many books around with me.
Periodically refreshing my book sales dashboard, seeing the Kindle Unlimited page count go up and knowing that literally at that moment people are reading words that I have written.
Wild animals in our neighborhood (foxes and rabbits and a groundhog and even a 6-point buck!)
Handmade mugs from two friends who are perfecting their pottery skills.
Buying seasonal puzzles discounted out of season and then saving them for months in the future.
Trip to Texas in the spring to see author friends
Trip to Arizona in December to see family and friends
Weekend staycation in Lancaster. Lots of reading and sleeping and cute downtown area.
Movies: The Substance, Sing Sing, A Real Pain, We Live in Time, The Monkey, Death of a Unicorn, Sinners, Weapons, The Long Walk, Bugonia, Frankenstein
Chest freezer in our basement. Bought in January when the orange felon started messing with the economy.
Roasted vegetables with whatever meat is on sale that week.
Letting Trader Joe’s tell me what I want on weekends Spencer isn’t here. A lot of girl dinner. A lot of salads.
Being the ‘professional reference’ for my friend’s 16 year old daughter applying for a job. Timeless tradition.
Midtown Scholar. I love our local bookstore so much. Birthday tradition to take Spencer to buy a book. Bringing out of town guests there.
Podcasts: Stuff You Should Know (perennial), You Must Remember This, And She Rises, The Plot Thickens,
Yellow legal pads (there may be a day when this no longer works for my brain, but today is not that day)
Innumerable throw blankets all over the house. Just got another couple for Christmas gifts too.
Amanda Frances. Podcast and book. I listened to years worth of episodes driving to/from a weekend trip. I spent more money than I should on her courses, but her energy is helping me change my money mindset
Peppermint mocha creamer (the holidays is basically the only time when I put sugar in my coffee)
Working temporarily as my friend’s Executive Assistant. He built a 7-figure business helping authors and working within the schedule of someone highly productive was a good kick-in-the-pants for me for a few months.
Naps
Rereading books I already know I love (particularly helpful when I am otherwise burnout but don’t want to just scroll on my phone)
A high-yield savings account. A healthcare savings account. Retirement investments. Building assets and cutting back on liabilities. Slowly but better than nothing
TV shows: Severance S2; White Lotus S3, The Four Seasons S1, The Studio S1, The Bear S4; The Pitt S1; The Diplomat S3; Pluribus S1; Welcome to Derry S1
Friendships of 9, 10, 11 years with fellow authors. It’s been 10 years since my life blew up and I am so grateful for it.
Setting big financial goals and being proud of every step closer.
Mad Men full series rewatch during sick days (and longer). I love this show so much; I have an essay collection about it and low-key want to write my own.
Weekend trip to Virginia to visit a best friend who now lives closer!
Same friend coming up to visit me! Showing her my favorite bookstore and restaurant and chilling at home.
Getting more of my books in print and significantly growing that income stream
Finding a second editor I can trust, so all my output is not on Spencer’s editing calendar.
Showing Spencer movies he hasn’t yet seen (Thelma and Louise, Virgin Suicides, Usual Suspects and so much more)
Live community theater. Guys and Dolls was SO good.
Live professional theater. The last of our season tickets to the Broadway tours that come through here.
Threads. Not that I needed another social media platform, but since I was starting from scratch I trained the algorithm to show me hopeful, financially abundant, uplifting content. It’s a breath of fresh air now.
Less social media and doom scrolling in general
Trying to make the my office cozy and welcoming. Decluttering regularly. Throw blanket. Scented candles.
Indoor sky diving just for fun
Finally recognizing what about my career I feel like I can be an expert in. Planning a new income stream based on my system.
Making an effort to launch the new series and having my excitement for the books mirrored back to me.
Spencer’s horror author friends visiting
Library book sale (and being discerning about which physical books are allowed in the house because it’s starting to get out of control)
Baby steps into BookTok. Learning what works and finding the hooks that can get readers interested in seeking out my books
Putting my face on the “secret” pen name for the first time (kind of. Barely. Baby steps, still)
Mashed potatoes with meatballs. Mashed potatoes with fajita chicken and veggies. Mashed potatoes with ham and broccoli. Mashed potatoes with everything.
Putting my books in the free little library at my barre studio (and being delighted when I notice they’ve been borrowed)
Getting a handful of coaching calls with someone who works with 6-figure authors. I feel like I know what I’m doing, even if my income hasn’t caught up yet
Using social media to promote my books (I resisted for years but it turns out to be a fun challenge).
24 hours in DC because I can.
Lots of great reading. More than I realized.
Launching 2 new book series for my secret pen name. Getting more of the backlist books into print. Diversifying income streams. Not making 1 or 2 books carry all my bills.
New-to-me restaurants in the area. I follow a bunch of local Instagram accounts so they can tell me where to go.
Wall calendar to visually mark days that I received money or gifts or discounts. Paying attention to all the abundance that is already in my life.
That first day between summer and fall when the weather starts to change (and I inevitably want to watch The Walking Dead)
Market research. I would love the time and space to write in half a dozen different genres, and spending time diving deep into what’s selling helps keep me interested (and sane)
Day trip to a nearby town bookstore and cat cafe
Spencer’s dad filling my car’s tires when we visit
Spencer’s mom sending groceries home with us
Nerds gummy clusters
Spencer making dinner (mostly on nights when I go to barre, but also fun date nights here and there)
Living so close to a movie theater
Publishing another Amy Teegan book. I wish these sold better so I could justify the time to write more.
Rotisserie chicken (cold. For snacking.)
Getting better at running ads for my books. Still not an expert, but gaining confidence and seeing results.
Big editing jobs where I get to focus on the story and characters instead of grammar. This is my zone of genius and it’s nice to be paid for it.
Upping my sleep routine/hygiene and getting more nights where I sleep a solid 8+ hours.
Compliments on my gray hair
Instant bone broth—easy protein for breakfast
Morning journaling (still. It’s been almost 10 years of this consistently). But also knowing when I don’t *need* it and jumping straight into work instead.
Finding the print of a portrait of me from 20+ years ago that I thought was lost forever
Happy hour appetizers for dinner (at the restaurant walking distance to us)
Getting a plumbing problem actually fixed (I think) instead of just fiddled with until it breaks again.
Favorite drinking glasses (and Spencer knowing they’re my faves and saving them for me)
Sequins pants. (Next stop, sequins cocktail dress)
This Substack. I always wish I could give you more. Thank you for being here with me and indulging my various passions.
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