When I reflect on my time as an entrepreneur, I can’t believe how different my life looked like over a decade ago. So much has changed since that time: I’ve launched two 7-figure brands, written over 10 books, created resources to help other female WOC entrepreneurs, and most importantly, found my way to harmony.
A lot of my growth can be attributed to the simple practice of making space for reflection. As a young entrepreneur, I was single-mindedly focused on success at the detriment of my own physical and mental well-being. I worked long hours with little to no breaks in between, hustling hard to grow my business. It took multiple endless cycles of burnout for me to finally take a long, hard look at my life and make some much-needed changes.
Without making space for reflection, I wouldn’t have stopped to question the trajectory in which my life was headed. I dread to think where I would be now if I hadn’t made significant changes to the way I worked and lived my life. By reflecting on my hustle culture mentality, I realized that making space for the people I love and the activities I enjoy wasn’t just nice; it was necessary.
Here are some tips for effective reflection that have helped me over the years:
- Use questions or prompts to help you get started. This can be incredibly helpful, especially if you’re not sure where to kickstart your reflection practice. There are tons of prompts available online that you can use for this purpose. Pick and choose whichever works best for you.
- Write it down. Once you’ve identified an area of your life to reflect on, write down your thoughts. The act of writing helps you to process your thoughts more clearly, allowing you to gain better clarity on things.
- End with one action that you can take in the future. Sometimes, it’s easy to get fixated on the negatives. To avoid this, wrap up your reflection sessions with one (or more) actions that you can take moving forward to help your future self. Clearly defining and taking actionable steps is one of the best ways to see tangible results from your reflection practice.
Whip out a journal and get started, friends!
In harmony,
TW
