July 12: National Simplicity Day. Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817. Thoreau was an advocate for living a life of simplicity. In our busy lifestyles, National Simplicity Day is the time to take a step back and begin to simplify our lives. One can start by decluttering and striving for balance.

July 15: National Give Something Away Day. In the United States, giving is on the rise. What can you give to your clients or to the publishing industry?

July 15: Get to Know Your Customers Day. When businesses get to know your customers, you also get to know more about your need to grow. Reach out to your patrons and get to know them better.

July 17. World Emoji Day. Emojis are images that express, similar to emoticons (emotions + icons) that are produced from an arrangement of keyboard characters.

July 17: Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day. Created by author and motivational speaker Martha J. Ross-Rodgers, this day is intended for all to let go of the past and live for the present. Make a list of your business regrets and then throw it away and live for today.

July 21: National Be Someone Day. What can be done in 10 seconds? Spend 10 seconds to make a business commitment such as pursuing professional development.

July 26: National All or Nothing Day. Throw caution in the wind and go for broke. What is one business challenge that you would like to overcome?

July 30: National System Administrator Appreciation Day. Show appreciation to your IT professional.

June 1: National Say Something Nice Day. Make the day pleasant for someone today by saying something nice.

June 2: National Leave the Office Early Day. This day is an incentive to many who often work more than 40 hours each week.

June 3. National Repeat Day. Take this opportunity to repeat something you needed or wanted to do again.

June 6: National Higher Education Day. Spend a moment educating or inspiring others who are interested in pursuing a similar career.

June 10: National Ballpoint Pen Day. Write a client a note today with a ballpoint pen to commemorate the patent filing on June 10, 1943.

June 11: National Making Life Beautiful Day. Celebrate those who make life beautiful through their words.

June 13: National Random Acts of Light Day. Bring light to a colleague by sharing some encouraging words.

June 21: National Selfie Day. Take some selfies that show you are balancing work-life activities.

June 30: Social Media Day. Post on all of your social media accounts today, letting potential clients know you are available for hire.

May: National Get Caught Reading Month. Wherever you go, the campaign challenges you to get caught reading.

First Week in May: Small Business Week. Small businesses account for half of America’s workforce, and more new jobs come from small business than any other source.

May 1: National Mother Goose Day. This day honors Mother Goose, the imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as children and also as adults.

May 12: National Limerick Day. Celebrate the birthday of English artist, illustrator, author, and poet Edward Lear who wrote Book of Nonsense.

May 16: National Biographer’s Day. Commemorate the anniversary of the first meeting of Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell in 1763 by honoring biographers.

May 30: National Creativity Day. Celebrate you and your creative pursuit!

May 31: National Speak in Complete Sentences Day. This day is dedicated to using proper sentence structure while speaking.

April: English Language Month. A month-long celebration of the uniqueness of the English language and all the learners working hard to master it.

April: National Poetry Month. Spend time this month writing, reading, and studying poetry.

April: National Volunteer Month. In the United States, volunteerism is instilled at a young age. Most organizations in small towns, rural counties, and the largest cities would not function without volunteers.

April: Records and Information Management Month. This event celebrates good record keeping and information management and emphasizes the importance of having organized records.

April: Stress Awareness Month. This month, we are all challenged to keep our stress levels low, and our peace levels high.

April 4: National Hug a Newsperson Day. Say thank you and send a hug to your local newsperson–virtually, of course.

April 5-9: National Library Week. Visit your local library in person or online, and give your library card a workout.

April 5-11: National Public Health Week. The week focuses on prevention and reducing unhealthy activities.

April 7: National Bookmobile Day. Honor the access to information and resources our nation’s bookmobiles make available to our communities and the professionals who work diligently to provide these services.

April 7: National No Housework Day. Freelancers working from home sometimes choose to be distracted by housework rather than work on a challenging project. On this day, it is not allowed, so find something else to distract you–or rather, sit down and work on that challenging project.

April 8: National All Is Ours Day. This is a day to appreciate everything we have, rather than dwelling on what we don’t have.

April 10: National Encourage a Young Writer Day. Do you know a young person who has a vivid imagination, maybe someone who likes to tell stories and reads a lot of books? Encourage them to pursue their goals and develop their writing skills.

April 14: National School Librarian Day. School librarians spend long hours keeping the library organized, helping our children find the resources they need to keep learning, and are dedicated to creating an environment they can learn in every day of the year. Set aside some time to honor school librarians.

April 14: National Reach as High as You Can Day. Review and plan your goals for the upcoming quarter or the rest of the year as you reach for your dreams or goals.

April 14: Look Up at the Sky Day. Look for inspirations and beauty by looking up at the sky.

April 14: National Library Workers Day. Libraries do so much more than house the books we can borrow nearly any time of the day or night. Today, library workers are masters of research.

April 15: National Rubber Eraser Day. Celebrate the invention of erasers by acknowledging that we all make mistakes.

April 15: Get to Know Your Customers Day. Select a customer and get to know them a little better today.

April 15: National High Five Day. Spend a moment on social media today, and give a virtual high five to someone who has recently helped you out.

April 16: National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. Let go of the stress by wearing your pajamas to work.

April 18: National Haiku Poetry Day. Try your hand at this creative form today by writing about what you see outside.

April 18-24: National Volunteer Week. Provide support by offering your services to a local organization you feel passionate about.

April 18-24: Administrative Professionals Week. Celebrate the administrative professionals and secretaries who keep businesses going.

April 21: National Administrative Professionals Day. Even some freelancers have virtual assistants, so we didn’t want you to miss this day! Celebrate your VA and show how much you appreciate this person.

April 22: National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Take some time to mentor your sons and daughters and aspire their writing to new heights!

April 27: National Tell a Story Day. Share a story with fellow word lovers.

April 28: National Great Poetry Reading Day. Celebrate distinguished poetry and the notable poets who wrote them.

April 30: National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Memorize a poem or two to share with the people you meet throughout the day.

March: Small Press Month. Shine the light on many of the great authors, and publishing houses, around the world.

March 2: National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Day). This day is a motivational and awareness day, calling all children and youth in every community across the United States to celebrate reading.

March 4: National Grammar Day. Some people might suggest that grammar is a set of rules for language, but it is a system for understanding language.

March 7-13: Words Matter Week. Words are the basis for communication, no matter the language spoken. Even babies make sounds, which eventually are formed into words. Here at NAIWE, we know the importance of words, and we want to celebrate it!

March 7-13: Read an E-book Week. This is an opportunity for book lovers and writers alike to share their passion in digital form.

March 8: National Proofreading Day. This day was created to bring awareness to the importance of proofreading.

March 14: National Write Down Your Story Day. This day challenges you to tell your story in written form.

March 30: National Pencil Day. Hymen Lipman received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil on this day in 1858.

February: National Self-Check Month. Take charge of your health, and increase your odds of avoiding chronic diseases or other preventable diseases.

February: Free and Open Source Software Month. Recognize the cooperative approach to computer programming, open licensing, and free distribution of software.

February: National Library Lover’s Month. Enjoy your library, but also consider volunteering your time this month in a library.

February 1: National Get Up Day. This is a day to persevere, to pick ourselves up when we’ve fallen. We never know when our efforts to seek a goal or overcome an obstacle will encourage another person.

February 4: National Thank a Mail Carrier Day. As a small business, you likely work your mail carrier a little harder. Let’s take time out of our day to thank the mail person who is responsible for getting your mail in your mailbox six days a week.

February 7: National Send a Card to a Friend Day. Send a note to a colleague or client to let them know you are thinking about them.

February 11: National Clean Out Your Computer Day. Over time, files and programs that are unused clog the memory of your computer. This is a day to take some time to do the needed care on your computers. Organize your files and folders. Delete junk files. Delete duplicate files. Delete old files and programs that are not being used.

February 11: National Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day. Think positive. Don’t worry and don’t stress over the little things. Life is too short.

February 11: National Make a Friend Day. Get to know one of your clients a little better. Meeting new people can help sharpen our social skills and keep us from becoming lonely.

February 11: National Giving Hearts Day. Make a donation from your business to a charity that you love.

February 14-20: National Freelance Writers Appreciation Week. Celebrate these hardworking writers by showing some gratitude, highlighting a fun behind-the-scenes moment.

February 17: National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Write a note or do something nice for one of your clients today.

February 26: National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. Share a favorite fairy tale with friends or family.

January 2: National Science Fiction Day. American author and Boston University professor of biochemistry Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920. He was best known for his works of science fiction and his popular science books.

January 5: National Screenwriters Day. Inside the industry, these screenwriters are well known for their ability to crack the story, create great roles for actors, and write memorable dialogue.

January 6: National Technology Day. From the wheel to smartphones, technology has been changing the world. Recognize those achievements and look to the future for more advancements in technology.

January 11: National Clean off Your Desk Day. This day is an opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized work space. Whether your desk is in a private or shared office, cubicle, home, or a make-shift desk on the counter, having your work space uncluttered, organized, refreshed, and clean will help you work more efficiently and give you a sense of serenity.

January 18: National Thesaurus Day. Whether you are looking for a new word or trying to complete a sentence, the thesaurus can be your best friend. Expanding your vocabulary improves both written and spoken communication skills and creative writing abilities and can be helpful in advancing your career.

January 21: Get to Know Your Customers Day. When businesses get to know your customers, you also get to know more about what you need to grow.

January 23: National Handwriting Day. Reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, it is a chance for all to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.

January 24: National Compliment Day. What a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day or to give credit for a job well done!

January 28: National Fun at Work Day. Many people spend a good portion of their lives at work, so why should they not try to enjoy it?

December: National Write a Business Plan Month. As a freelancer, you are a business owner, so consider writing a business plan this month!

December 1: National Day of Giving. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

December 26: National Thank-you Note Day. It is a day to get some note cards, paper, pen, envelopes and stamps to write special thank yous.

December 31: No Interruptions Day. This is a day set aside for getting organized for the new year by cleaning up your work space without interruptions.

November: Family Stories Month. Record or listen to stories from relatives of all ages.

November: National Family Literacy Month. Enjoy some family readings.

November: National Life Writing Month. Write about yourself and your life as you have experienced it thus far.

November: National Novel Writing Month. Use this month to write the first draft of your novel.

November 1: National Author’s Day. Celebrate your favorite authors and the books they have written.

November 1: National Family Literacy Day. Read a book with your family today.

November 2: Job Action Day. Get the tools and resources to master a new job search and land the career of your dreams!

November 4: National Stress Awareness Day. Develop a routine to help you manage your stress.

November 8-14: National Young Readers Week. The focus of the week demonstrates to youth the importance of reading.

November 27: You’re Welcomegiving Day. Share a “You’re welcome” with at least one client today.

November 28: Small Business Saturday. Support your local small businesses.

November 29: Electronic Greetings Day. Send an electronic greeting to each of the clients you haven’t heard from in a while.

November 30: Computer Security Day. Help secure your computer by installing and running antivirus software.

October: National Book Month. Curl up on the couch with a good book.

October: National Reading Group Month. Gather a group of friends, and meet weekly to discuss a great book!

October: National Work and Family Month. Focus on one way to improve your work/life balance. The Be a Better Freelancer conference can help with this: “Freelancing 101: Launching and Managing Your Freelance Business” with Meghan Pinson.

October: Self-Promotion Month. Promote your skills to gain some new clients. The Be a Better Freelancer conference has a session to help with this: “You Oughta be in Visuals: Make Your Social Sizzle to Fire Up Your Freelancing” with Walt Jaschek.

October 1: National Fruit at Work Day. Take a break today to enjoy a piece of seasonal fruit at work.

October 5: National Do Something Nice Day. Do something nice for one of your clients today!

October 6-12: Mystery Series Week.

October 6-12: National Newspaper Week.

October 6-12: Customer Service Week.

October 9: National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day. Spend a day with a cuddly friend to make you smile. 🙂

October 13-19: National Work at Home Week.

October 18-24: National Business Women’s Week.

October 18-24: National Friends of Libraries Week.

October 24: National Make a Difference Day. Do something to make a difference in the life of someone else.