Work In Progress: Running My Business With Intention
Do you do that “word of the year” exercise? I never have before, but something made me want to focus on one this year. [As you may have noticed, I often struggle with focus in my business…]
One of my core values is intentionality, so it feels fitting to have a word that anchors me. Something that brings me back down to earth and oriented toward action when I get a little too head-in-the-clouds-let’s-think-this-to-death.
Because my goal—both for myself and my clients—is to take and encourage confident, meaningful action.
So with that, my word of the year is ✨ progress ✨.
I’m focusing on making progress in business. And in life. Because they go hand-in-hand.
WHY PROGRESS?
I’m a perfectionist by nature [hello, fellow enneagram 1s], so it’s hard for me to celebrate progress, rather than completion. But this year, I want to reframe my relationship to being and feeling accomplished. Basically, less about checking off the to do list, more about building toward something I care about.
I like that progress is about the journey, rather than the destination. That progress means there can be intention behind action without being too attached to the results. That progress leaves space for flexibility and exploration. [Ahem, another one of my core values.]
This newsletter has been called “Toward Purpose & Progress” since the beginning. And my soon-to-launch podcast is called Purpose & Progress. It’s not an accident that these names came to me YEARS apart, or that a huge majority of people who follow me voted on this specific podcast name. There’s something magical about progress and its connection to living out your purpose.
So, this year, I want to focus on incremental happiness. Tiny habits that add up to something big. That sort of thing. Basically, the antidote to perfectionism.
YOUR WORD OF THE YEAR
I polled people on Instagram and one entrepreneur friend said her word is wealth. I love that wealth can manifest in so many ways—including AND beyond money in the bank.
Another business owner said that she does her planning and visioning on March 21 because “it’s the first day of spring, the first day of Aries season, and the beginning of the astrological new year.” For her (and anyone in the Northern hemisphere), New Year’s is in the dead of winter, so it’s never made sense to her to harness fresh energy then. It’s so cool to see such an intuitive approach, using the rhythms that work for her.
Whether it’s a single “word of the year” that speaks to you, a set of core values, or a full-blown brand messaging strategy, we can work together to validate your vision and bring it to life so that you can communicate it to yourself, your team, your peers, and most importantly, the people you want to serve. Hit reply if you want to chat.
This is an excerpt from Toward Purpose & Progress, my newsletter where I share business tips, good news, shoutouts to Founder Friends, and other juicy snippets. Subscribe here for more rants, reflections, and resources.