2019 is over, and honestly it feels like a blur.
I know this post is going to seem like a hard brag. I promise that isn’t my intention. I accomplished a lot this year, but I can’t say that I allowed much happiness into my life, especially toward the end of 2019. The beginning felt like a lot of highs: New job! An agent! Another birthday! The end felt like a lot of lows: My cat’s health problems. My health problems. Student loan problems. My depression.
I’m still in a depression fog at the moment. I won’t lie. I had a really difficult time even stringing together this blog post. At the same time, though, that’s why I forced myself to write it.
We need to take a moment to acknowledge all of our hard work.
Today, I ask you to join me.
Grab a pen and paper. Think of everything you did in 2019, and write it down. Leave nothing out. Include all the things, even the little things others might consider insignificant. With every bullet point you add, really think about all the help you received, the support, the encouragement, the opportunities, the sacrifices, the dedication, the passion. Have you thanked these people? Have you thanked yourself for trying? Have you allowed yourself the space to celebrate and be happy?
In 2019:
- I was promoted at the library to Story Center Program Manager. Now I’m surrounded by storytellers all day, and I absolutely love it!
- I guest spoke at numerous teen writing groups at various libraries, my local chapter of SCBWI, and at Writers United for Johnson County Library
- I also had my first school visit, ever
- I was chosen for a mentorship through Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
- I got a literary agent!
- I also went out on sub with my agent.
But that’s not all! I released Took Me Yesterday (book 2 of the Tomo Trilogy) on Wattpad after readers kept asking for it for five years. I attended two conferences, went on a writing retreat, hosted #BeMyLi, was included in YASH twice, and attended my local critique group every month. (Not to mention exchanged pages with online beta reader friends all year long.) And I tracked my progress.
I began 2019 with 26,996 words in a YA science fiction novel. I was also, 55,623 words into a revision of my historical fantasy.
I end 2019 not only with a completed version of my YA science fiction novel, but a majorly revised and polished version, too. I’m on sub with a different science fiction novel, and I finished revising my historical fantasy as well. I even started a new project! And I’m brainstorming even more.
In 2020, I already know that I’m teaching my first writing course. Only in a few days, too. (If you’re in Kansas City, join me for Getting Started on a Writing Project.) I’ll be teaching my first publishing course in April during Publishing Week at the Library. I also have plans to attend the Kansas City Writing Workshop and the LitUP Festival. And I’m sure there’s more to come: more firsts, more rejections, more congratulations, more plot twists, more tears, more laughter.
I know this because I’ve written articles just like this one for the past four years:
And every year, I read each one in rescinding order.
This year I didn’t know if I wanted to write this article. I didn’t think I could. But after reading my past posts, I remembered why these have become so important to me. I can look back. I can remember. I can put it all in perspective.
Right now, my 2020 perspective is hopeful. Grateful. Humble.
I promise to try my best to be my best self: as a librarian, an author, a cat lady, a friend.
I promise to continue.
What do you promise?
~SAT
Shannon A. Thompson 
Congrats,Shannon on all of your accomplishments. Be thankful and grateful for all the chances which were given as well as earned to achieve your goals.Of course,continue to pursue your dreams since you still have a long life ahead.In this way, you can look back later on and see what you had achieved. That will be fulfilling part of your life’s purpose.
Thank you! I definitely want to take more time in 2020 to simply enjoy, be grateful, and live in the moment. 🙂
~SAT
👍👍👍
Sounds like you’ve been going through a pretty tough time. I hope things get better for you soon! Was your cat okay?
Thank you for the best wishes! My cat is doing okay right now. He had an internal blockage in his urethra, and they gave him a special diet to try to fix it, since it can kill male cats. He doesn’t get retested until later this month. So it’s pending, unfortunately. But he’s playing, eating, and seems like he’s feeling better. So I’m feeling hopeful!
~SAT
Congratulations on all of this and on the reflection itself! It’s okay to toot your horn. Toot toot! 2020 is already off to a great start. I am awash with gratitude for 2019, 2020, and beyond. Life is both beautiful and artful.
Thank you! Your positive energy is one of my 2020 goals! Way to go! 🙂
~SAT
2020
I’ve seen hair regrown with my laser hair cap I used in 2019. I need to get a new laser hair because the beeping stopped, and the laser hair cap won’t turn on.
I promise to finish naturally regrowing my hair by using my 2nd laser hair cap.
Thick full hair is a great treasure that I want to regain so I can be satisfied when I look at my hair in the mirror, and I’ll satisfied in the present because I won’t be wishing I was in the past when I had full thick hair.
Congrats Shannon on your great accomplishments in 2019.
That is really interesting! I’ve never heard of a laser hair cap. I hope everything goes well for you. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
~SAT
It’s the mostly the same as a Laser hair comb except the laser hair cap does all the work because a person puts the laser cap on, and pushes the on button.
The laser hair cap turns off after a certain amount of time.
I recently caught myself feeling down because I “only” self-published two novellas she wrote two short stories. We’re all too hard on ourselves at times.
So true! I am definitely my worst critic. Time to work on being my best fan, too. 🙂 Congratulations on your novellas!!
~SAT
I’d love to go on a writer’s retreat. Just having hours of focused writing sounds like bliss.
It is super fun! If you get a chance to go to one, definitely try it out. I had to take a few days off work to go, but still worth it since I get so little time to focus only on writing.
~SAT