Creatives! It’s Time for An End-of-Year Energetic Reflection
Listen to the audio or read through — whichever way you like to learn best!
December 10, 2021 The end of the year is fast approaching and I know I’m not the first one to suggest you take time to tune in and reflect on the past year before you dive into the next.
However, my idea of reflecting isn’t just thinking about what happened in your personal life or how your business did so you can “do better.” It’s noticing patterns and being brutally honest with yourself about where you are and where you want to be.
Why reflection matters
As a creative, it might surprise you to know I have intricate (and beautifully designed) spreadsheets where I track my stats and organize my projects.
Here are the posts I shared about them over the last few years (and you can see some images from those below!):
These analytics allow me to balance living a life I love with running an impactful business. They also set me up for success… especially in the way I define it.
When you observe what worked and what didn’t, you can focus on planning for a future that lights you TF up. The outcome is a deeper understanding of both you and your business.
How you can reflect on the past year
Think of this process as an energetic audit of your business. It requires you to look at your numbers – even if that scares you – and consider your emotions at the same time. Here’s how to start.
Step 1: Look at your goals for each quarter and the year What did those look like? Which ones came to fruition, evolved, or shifted? Where did you want to be at the end of this year and where did you end up? Were you able to afford what you desire? To make time for the activities that matter to you?
Notice what feelings or emotions come up for you as you reflect on these goals.
Step 2: Check your numbersHow many projects did you work on each quarter? What was your average rate? What months were you the busiest and when were you not busy at all? How many vacations did you take? Do you want to continue the way you’ve been doing things?
Do this for everything. From your invoicing software and Instagram analytics to your website stats and any spreadsheets you may have.
Step 3: Notice the patternsWhat were your biggest accomplishments? Your small wins? Use this as an opportunity to celebrate yourself as well as uncover the lessons you learned that you can bring with you into the new year.
This is about observing your patterns and honoring how you feel about everything you did (or didn’t get to do) this year. Maybe as you look over your spreadsheets you notice a project you loved working on brought in $5K in revenue while a challenging project brought in $1K. This insight might lead you to increase your minimum price so you attract more dream clients.
If this feels intimidating, I’m here to validate your experience. I also want to remind you that doing this sets you up for success for the year ahead.
Something to consider
The point of reflecting on your year isn’t for you to beat yourself up for not being perfect. It’s to be transparent with yourself and know your numbers so you can prepare, plan, and feel confident about taking on more (or less) projects, charging your Holy Fuck Pricing, and even prioritizing time away each quarter.
The way I raised my minimum pricing and got clear on what projects I want to take on is by tracking everything – from my income and expenses (more masculine energy) to my feelings (my feminine energy).
When I reflect on the monetary exchange as well as my emotions in this way, it allows me to make adjustments as I find out what works for me, what doesn't, where I want to be, and what projects are most profitable.
It’s also a beautiful way to understand the cycles and phases of your business. While it’s more than okay to have inconsistent months as a business owner, if you know what seasons you’re the busiest or have less money coming in than usual, you can plan accordingly.
This knowledge helps you create balance in your business so you can ultimately work less and make more.
There’s so much magic in going deeper than “Did I accomplish what I set out to do?” If you want to continue to dive into the energetics behind it all without forgetting the practical, you can download a free pricing breakdown and reflection workbook here.
Also, don’t be shy! Send me a DM on Instagram or an email to tell me how your reflection went. What came up for you? Do you have any lingering questions? I’m all ears!
Sharing to Pinterest? Here’s a few images:
