✨End-of-Year Wrap-Up #2 - Lessons Learned✨
In the first email of this series, I opened up about how 2023 initially seemed like a bust – especially if you measure success just by the dollar signs. However, as I dove a bit deeper, I discovered that these past 12 months have been instrumental in driving the most significant growth for my business.
You might be wondering how a sluggish revenue year can actually be a game-changer…
Well, keep reading, because I’ve got some lessons from the trenches that I think will benefit you as much as they’re serving me.
Listen, I get it. Last year was a tough one for many of us, throwing curveballs left and right, both personally and in our businesses. But, I can honestly say that I've come out on the other side with a fresh perspective and some gold nuggets of wisdom that go beyond the usual growth metrics.
As we bid farewell to 2023, I want you to join me in shedding any regrets or mind drama. Because, really, who has extra brain space for it?!
Here are some of the lessons I packed up and carried into 2024. Which one(s) might serve you, too?
#1 - My business isn’t a job; it’s a platform for my calling.
A business that feels like a job or doesn’t offer joy isn’t for me. When I shared that in January 2023, my business wasn’t working for me, it was a wake-up call to reassess and restore alignment and balance between the impact I wanted to make in business and my personal priorities, values, and goals. This deep level of fulfillment and joy in our work that comes from a calling is essential for long-term motivation and success.
#2 - Self-care is a critical part of the business plan.
It simply cannot be ignored. (Trust me: it took my body throwing a fit to get that memo!) I’ve spent the last few months figuring out what kind of self-care routines and rituals enable the well-being of mind, body and soul while supporting the sustainability of my business — and how to incorporate it into the plan.
#3 - Likewise, BEing is equally as important as DOing.
Productivity is not solely measured by DOing. While I won’t need such long spurts of time to BE going forward, I recognize the value of giving it a regular spot on the calendar. There’s so much that happens in this “empty” time and space.
#4 - My WHY is just as compelling as it was back in 2016.
There are many times when your business will challenge every fiber of your being, testing your commitment altogether. These last 12 months have done just that for me. Yet as I closed out 2023, a year of challenge and doubt, I am encouraged that my WHY continues to ground and motivate me. If I hadn’t had this reassurance, the path forward would look quite different.
#5 - Values cannot be negotiated.
The people we surround ourselves with… the work we say yes to… the priorities we keep… they have to align with our values. Period.
#6 - Complicated offers and business models are heck NOs for me.
In this season of life, simplicity and efficiency are big motivators. When things get too complicated, I bow out. So, KISS is a motto I’m holding onto.
#7 - Freedom is immeasurable.
There’s too much to say about this… suffice to say that freedom is not a given, it’s a tremendous gift that I hope and pray daily is regained by our hostages whose freedom was so brutally ripped away from them. I’ll never think of freedom in the same way - in my business or my everyday life as a human being.
#8 - Sometimes the growth we need most isn’t found in the bottom line.
Acknowledging that growth goes beyond financial metrics has been an important learning - and growth - experience for me this past year.
#9 - Learning how to live with the unexpected is a powerful tool for life.
You know that saying “Man plans and G-d laughs?” Yeah, well, calendars, sticky notes, and strategies only go so far when we don’t know how to handle the unexpected. Learning how to move forward in the face of uncertainty, adversity, and unprecedented circumstances is a powerful life skill.
#10 - Silence is only sometimes golden.
There are times for words and times for silence. And knowing when to activate one vs the other is the difference between people feeling seen, heard, and supported — and people feeling abandoned.
#11 - The only time one fails is when they stop trying.
We get to define failure for ourselves as much as we get to define what success looks and feels like. We’ve got to stop measuring ourselves against someone else’s success markers. It’s only over when we stop showing up.
#12 - The company you keep is everything.
Listen, I know what a strong community looks like. I’ve been part of them and I’ve built them. But if 2023 taught me anything, it’s just how very important the company you keep truly is. From our families to our friends in Israel and abroad to the strangers of this beautiful place we call home, we feel immeasurably blessed. And we know that getting through such hard times would be infinitely more difficult without our community of support.
#13 - Faith provides fuel when all wells have run dry.
The challenges of 2023 tested my faith on every level. Yet, every time I questioned it, in the face of such pain and hardship for the Jewish People, I recognized its powerful source of strength moving me into the next moment in time. When despair runs deep, faith is like a sky full of beautiful birds dropping little messages that all will be okay.
Friends, your journey and insights are a testament to the holistic nature of success and growth. It's not just about the numbers but also about personal fulfillment, alignment with values, and continuous learning.
I'd love to hear your reflections on 2023 and how your unique journey has shaped your perspective for the year ahead. Comment below to start a conversation!