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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Vacation 101



I just returned from a little escape to Aruba. I have to admit: I never really understood the whole Caribbean vacation thing. I was brought up (egregiously wrong!) to believe that vacations had to be meaningful and educational and sometimes slightly painful. Thanks, Mom.

Well, it's no wonder that I have always had trouble just letting go and relaxing. This vacation was the start of a whole new education: How to wear bikinis and flip-flops and swim in the sun. There were a few seminars in fruity drink consumption and mandatory conference on sunscreen application, as well.

In all seriousness, I can't think of a better way to prepare myself for the 2009 WPBA season than to hone my relaxation skills and spend a few days on a beach, deliriously happy. I have a special reason to be happy after doing my 2008 taxes. I broke even for the first time last year. I'm not talking about paying the rent, but I successfully covered ALL my pool-related expenses. I am a little behind the ball for 2009, but this news gives me the confidence to push forward toward making a living.

I bring in income through four arms: sponsorships, tournament winnings, giving lessons and doing appearances. My record keeping was good last year and I have an accurate picture of how I did in each area. This makes it easier for me to make goals for the different arms and get a sense of how I can turn myself into a profitable business.

I am proud of myself for working hard, but I value learning to relax a little more. I think I need five more trips to Aruba just to make sure that I've got it down. What can I say - I have always been a perfectionist.

-LIZ

5 comments:

poolplayer2093 said...

Glad you enjoyed your vacation. i'm new to this whole blog thing so i'm reading all the players blogs i can. it's really cool to get a look at what pro players do/think.

can't wait to hear about your next tournament. this is kind of off topic but it'd be really cool to see some accu stat type videos of the WPBA events. i'd buy a couple if they were available. throw in a couple of good commentators and i think you guys could make some extra cash doing it

poolcuenews.com said...

Hey! Glad to see you're blogging again. Good luck in San Diego and kick some WPBA booty! Oh, and if you can convince the WPBA to stream a match between you and Sarah, well I'd just be pleased as punch. ;-)

Liz Ford said...

Hi poolplayer2093 -
The WPBA has an exclusive contract with ESPN, which is great because we get to be on ESPN! Unfortunately it also means that we don't do Accustats.

Liz Ford said...

Thanks, PCN. I'll see what I can do :)

Unknown said...

Covering all your expenses is a big deal. I will be in an entire new life when I can! Congratulations.