Simon Says... Write Down One Thing You're Proud Of Each Day
Self-deprecation is *so* 2021.
Welcome to Simon Says, a weekly newsletter from Rachel Simon all about freelance life—from the inside scoop on just-published stories to advice on how to pitch to what it’s *really* like to leave a cozy full-time gig for the chaotic, unpredictable world of invoicing (jk, freelancing, but IYKYK).
One of the few (okay, the only) resolution-ish things I’ve kept up since New Year’s is writing down one thing I’m proud of from each day. I wanted to start this because despite clearly loooooving to talk about myself, I am painfully bad at actually acknowledging the things I achieve and taking pride in them. Before you say, “but Rachel, you have a newsletter where you literally list out the things you’ve accomplished,” I’m not talking about telling others what I’ve done. That part’s easy! I’m taking about telling myself—actually feeling pride in my choices and letting it sink in, rather than just being like, “okay sure I did that but it wasn’t really a big deal and anyway what’s next on my list?” every time I do something cool/impressive/simply Not That Bad.
Cue: the pride notebook! Sometimes, the thing I write about is big (“I sold three stories today,” “I taught a class to 50 people”), but most of the time, it’s fairly minor (“I drove to the airport by myself,” “I stopped eating when I was full, not nauseous and wanting to die”). Even when it’s just small stuff, though, it’s been really gratifying to force myself to take a minute each night before bed to really consider my accomplishments, and seeing them all laid out in my notebook feels pretty cool.
So if, like me, you suffer from Liz Lemon-itis and could use a good ‘ol confidence boost, follow my lead and get yourself a pride notebook. It’s a nice little routine!
Some Stories I Wrote Last Week
I took a bit of time off this past week for my bachelorette party (very fun, very drunk, very cold in upstate NY), but here are a few stories that came out:
For Daily Paws, I wrote about a heated dog blanket that has a gazillion great reviews and looks so comfy I might buy it for myself.
Also for Daily Paws, I made a list of eight pretty, minimalist cat collars, if that’s you/your cat’s aesthetic vibe.
With Valentine’s Day coming up fast, I rounded up nine pieces of non-cringey heart-shaped jewelry for InStyle, because let’s be real, most of that stuff is… not good.
And over on People, I found eight red dresses under $75 on Amazon perfect for your VDay date nights.
The Inside Scoop
Each week, I’ll pick one story I’ve written (new or old, if needed) and explain how it got from pitch/assignment to publication. This week, it’s the InStyle story on heart-shaped jewelry.
I originally pitched this story as “heart-shaped earrings under $100,” as I figured there was a big selection I could choose from and the price range seemed appropriate for InStyle’s readers. My editor was on-board with the general concept, but she made a few tweaks: 1) focusing it on jewelry overall, not just earrings; 2) changing the price point to $75 to be more accessible; and, most importantly, 3) adding in the “non-cringey” aspect because heart-shaped jewelry has a bad rep and she knew readers would be skeptical.
Editors! They’re smart and helpful!
Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note
Another friendly reminder that my custom crossword puzzles are 10% off if you use the code VDAY22 on Etsy before Valentine’s Day!
I made a massive spreadsheet of wedding to-dos from now until April, and it is… a lot. If any married folks have any big three-months-or-less-out planning tips, hit me up.
Coming Up…
Can I talk about that big news yet? Sadly, still no. I wish I could, guys. I wish I could. But I am working on a few non-ecomm stories over the next week or two that I’ll be happy to share as soon as they go live.
Alright, y’all! Have a great week, stay safe, and let me know if you have any thoughts/questions/etc. on this little newsletter of mine.
-Rachel