The Most Underrated Business Practice (in our opinion)
You won’t grow as much until you learn from where you've been. So how about reflecting to make sure you’re going in the right direction?
We get it — taking action in your business matters a lot. People tell you that all the time, right?
You’ve heard coaches of all sorts probably encourage you to do something new. Do something different. Take messy action. But maybe messy action isn’t your thing? Or even if it is, maybe you’d like it to be less messy sometimes?
And you might find yourself itching — once you’re sick of the small numbers or low engagement — to just keep throwing things at the wall hoping one of them will stick. If you’re like clients we work with, you’ve probably tried quite a number of things that were outside your comfort zone.
If you’re willing, we’re going to add one more: PAUSE. STOP. And reflect.
Running a business is really hard, and we get that it’s important to not overthink ourselves out of trying new things.
And sometimes, it’s just as important to not jump on the next trend if what we’ve got happening is really working.
So before you proceed… take a look at what you’re already doing and what’s happening from those efforts.
A plant can’t grow properly without proper roots. Similarly, it helps tremendously when you and your business are grounded in things such as:
Your mission
Your intention
The audience that you relate to so naturally that it doesn’t cause strain
What you like doing
What you dislike doing (and a strategy to ensure it still gets done if necessary without you wasting time and energy)
How can one get clear on these without understanding oneself and their business?
The best way to hear yourself is in the quiet… in the in-betweens of reviewing and reflecting.
One thing that has really benefited us at Unsocially Inclined just as much as acting in this business is taking inventory of what we’re doing and reflecting on it.
That way, when we do act, we know exactly what we’re doing and can build self-trust. And when things aren’t working, and taking a lot of energy, we can stop or try something different.
If you’re all act and no reflection, you’re going to get yourself in hot water. Take this analogy: If you decided to go to a store in a part of town you were unfamiliar with, and just started driving without relying on your GPS… you might waste a lot of gas before you might still not make it to your destination.
Similarly, review and reflection are to make sure you’re heading the right way. Action without it is like driving without the proper route directions. Like all things, it’s a balance that is unique to everyone’s experience and place in their life and as their business.
Business isn’t always about taking constant action
It’s understandable that as a business grows, you may worry that you must maintain momentum. People associate that with acting, but it also needs to be sustainable. If you want to have a business that doesn’t run you, we believe that reflection is required to keep it going.
We’ve reflected that a business owner who wants a sustainable business needs to really take a close look at themselves, what they need, how business feels, and how close to themselves they feel within their business. This process requires questions and time and is so worth it.
So don’t stop at asking yourself the typical questions such as, “What’s a new thing I can try?”
Also, look at what you’re doing and what’s working. On top of that, don’t forget how it’s working and how you’re working.
We offer these questions as you reflect:
Where have I seen the most growth in my business? How did I get it?
What are the results and how do they compare to my expectations?
Where did I fall short of my goals? Do I need to readjust the goal, or readjust my actions? Was I okay with that result?
How am I feeling about how I’m doing? Am I acting on auto-pilot, or are most things coming from a place of intention?
Do my offers still reflect me at this stage in my journey?
What feels relevant still? What is something I might want to change up or let go of?
Do I need to ask anyone for help? Is this business coexisting harmoniously with my mental health?
So now that we’ve fleshed out the need to review and reflect, how often should you do it?
In small doses, it’s important to do short check-ins with yourself on a regular basis, even from week to week. (If that’s too much, try every month.)
On a larger scale, as it applies to marketing strategy, quarterly reviews will do. If you’ve been doing short check-ins, these reviews are a time for you to sum up your conclusions from tracking the data over time and do overhauls in your messaging and branding as you see fit.
You’re not the same person right now that you were a year ago. Your business is going to go through just as many transformations.
And just as your therapist may ask you to review and reflect on your character and choices, doing the same in your business can help your overall results and experience.
For those of you who are organizational nerds, consider reviewing and reflecting as… decluttering your brain of ideas and anxieties and taking stock of them, little by little, so they never pile up.
For those of you who like to feel their way through, consider reviewing and reflecting as… a journaling index of how things are feeling and working for you right now.
For those of you who move through business with big ideas and visionary ideas, consider reviewing and reflecting as… a big picture moment to be invigorated by big visionary energy.
Does this feel like something you want to do, but are not quite sure where to start? We’re here to help.
If you want someone to lend you a hand with your ongoing marketing activities mapped out over the year, sales page rewrites with more personality and less manipulation, or auditing and fleshing out your core message guide, book a vibe check call to see if we can support you!
