Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 46 years old. As I look back on this past year, my 45th year was truly a remarkable year. It was a year that started out kind of rough, but helped me to develop grit and resilience. My 45th birthday happened in the depths of the first few months of COVID. It was a time where everyone was truly on high alert. I was working remotely and although I had never felt more needed, (after all, I am a tech coach) I was also truly exhausted. I loved helping my teachers learn the new tools needed to navigate virtual learning, but there were definitely a lot of fires to put out. As the year progressed, I evolved and grew. Since my 45th birthday, I have presented at 25 conferences/events. I have formed an LLC and started TannenbaumTech. I have grown my website immeasurably. Yet, the thing I am most proud of- the best present ever is that my book was published this year. What a year it has truly been!
Yes, that moment that I have been dreaming of finally happened. My book, TRANSFORM-Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky, went finally live on Amazon this Thursday. The first time I typed in MY NAME and saw it pop up was a moment unlike any other. I AM A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! I say this in all caps, not to brag, but to celebrate, Growing up, I would have never in a million years have ever dreamed that one day I would be a published author. That wasn't something even on my radar. But in the past two years, I have been on a remarkable journey, one where I live in abundance and look for possibilities, one where I believe in myself. My book shares that story. It shares how you too can transform your classroom and your role as an educator using the opportunities that technology provides. It is my story, but it can also serve as a framework for you as you undergo your own transformation. It is my attempt to pay it forward and I hope as you read my journey, you will share your own using the hashtag #transform and tag me in any social media posts. Take a selfie with my book and share it- be proud that you too are starting a transformation and gathering techy notes to make learning stickier.
This year has truly been a year of CHALLENGES leading to opportunities and I woke up yesterday, excited to start the day. I couldn't wait to finish Week 1 of my new workouts (even the burpees). I couldn't wait to see my book go live. Even my husband noticed the difference- last year, I said things like it's just another day and told him that we didn't need to make a big deal of my birthday. Not so this year! Yesterday, I was in full on CELEBRATION mode- celebrating all of the AMAZING things that I accomplished, once I fully embraced fear as a sidekick and went for my dreams. I am truly living a life of abundance and that didn't happen by itself. It took lots of hard work, hours of writing at my desk and asking for lots of help. Today is day 141 of my year of TRANSFORMATION and I am loving it.
Today is another stop on my journey- yes, I plan to enjoy every second of it! It's Friday and I am so honored by all the amazing messages that I got yesterday. Let's continue the celebration of TRANSFORM throughout the weekend. Please join me on Sunday for the official celebration. Along with some special guests, we will be going LIVE on the Road to Awesome LLC Facebook page to celebrate TRANSFORM at 1 PM EST! It will be a lot of fun and I would love for all of you to be there.