Remembering to take stock

I've spent the last 36hrs developing a website and writing the copy for it. Not so different from my usual work, but this time the client was myself. As a freelance writer & editor, who works for clients all over the world, I've discovered to my detriment that an emailed resume and a few ropey scans don't really cut it when you are pitching for new work.

After ferreting through boxes of clips, searching my external hard drive for old resumes and even Googling myself to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything important, I can't quite get my head round how much real, honest to goodness proper work I've done, plenty of which had completely escaped my memory. Whilst I've been tucked away in my head, writing my book, I've got too used to the idea that I haven't done much of late in my career and it was remarkably empowering to realise just how much I have achieved.

My mother wrote a lovely piece on her blog today about my childhood and that, combined with my trip down career memory lane reminded me that it's good to sit down and take stock occasionally, to remember that the dips and the bad times can make it far too easy to underestimate and underplay our accomplishments.