Back to School

 

I'm exhausted. I've been debating for several weeks - with myself. I want to go to a writing conference in March. My writing self is shouting, "Yes! Let's go." My practical self is whining (yes, my practical self whines a lot), "But the cost...what about your 9 to 5 job...it's multiple days so you need a hotel room...will it be worth it." My practical self, after years in marketing, is always worrying about ROI.

My family has been on this rollercoaster with me. Despite not being writers, they have listened to my dissection of the workshops, cost, advantages and my decisions to not go...go...no, not go...maybe. They are all encouraging me to go. I suspect so they won't get drawn into any more writing conference discussions.

Last night - the last day of early registration - I did it. There's no turning back now. They have my credit card number. 

Over the course of this seemingly endless debate, I've changed my outlook on writing conferences, classes, etc. My friends and family are involved in careers that cover a wide variety of industries. Yet they all have one thing in common. They all participate in career building events ranging from industry conferences to skills classes to online workshops. So why am I so reluctant?

The main reason may be that I'm the one footing the bill for any career building events I attend. But in reality there are plenty of affordable and even free options out there. I've taken several classes through WOW that made me notice new writing opportunities in my life. There are also classes popping up in my feed and inbox constantly. I also think part of it may be "imposter syndrome". Somewhere deep inside of me I feel I'm not worth the investment.

For 2025 I've decided that one of my goals will be to actively pursue career building opportunities. I'm going to give myself a money and time budget for the year and find a few ways to hone my skills. In the past, I've found that participating in classes and attending talks not only educates me but also gives me a surge of enthusiasm for my writing career. I never thought that these events weren't valuable experiences. They just always seemed to move to the bottom of my to-do list. But for the upcoming year, I'm giving myself permission to pursue these opportunities.

I'll be happy to share how my experiment has gone at the end of 2025.

What about you? Do you invest in yourself? Do you worry about time and money spent?

Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from DIY projects to tea to butterflies.  She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing and a writing tutor at her local university. Get to know her @jodiwebbwrites,  Facebook and blogging at Words by Webb.