Happy Holidays, everybody!
While it is the most wonderful time of year, it can also be the busiest. And before you know it, the New Year will be upon us. As we inch closer and closer to 2023, we think it’s important to reflect on this past year so that we can move the needle forward with intention.
So today, we would like to talk about Alignment. What does it mean to be in alignment and why does it matter as a business owner?
What does it mean to be in alignment with yourself?
Simply Put… You doing you and it feels great!
The Complicated Version… It means that all elements – career life, home life, emotional state, mental fulfillment, etc. – of your life line up in a way that allows a sense of fulfillment.
The true essence of this concept is very subjective and will mean something different to each individual. Not one person can define what being in total alignment is within another person. It’s personal.
“To be in alignment with your best self implies all aspects of ourselves are in harmony and functioning well.” – Source
Why is it important as a business owner?
It is important to be in alignment, as doing so has many benefits, such as:
– Increased levels of joy, self-expression, and creativity.
– Less turmoil or chaos.
– Lower levels of stress.
– Higher self-control or self-discipline.
– More peace and satisfaction.
– Increased level of productivity and performance. –Source
Being out of alignment could look like many things, such as:
– Having a knowing or feeling something is off or not right.
– Forcing things to happen because things are effortful rather than effortless.
– Losing connection to what ignites your spirit or what makes you feel alive.
– Having health challenges, whether they’re mental, emotional, or physical challenges.
– Not dreaming of what’s possible for you.
– Numbing out how you’re feeling and masking what’s going on for you. – Source
As captain of the ship that is your business, feeling aligned will not only benefit you and your life, it can also benefit your business, which could also benefit others’ lives. It’s a Win-Win-Win Situation!
Being a business owner is no walk in the park. There are certainly a lot of challenges. However, despite its difficulties, there are so many entrepreneurs that wouldn’t have it any other way.
Why is that?
For many of them, being an entrepreneur allows them to live a life that is aligned to their true selves. The journey brings overall fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy, which allows them the energy and drive to keep striving forward.
However, if you are not feeling aligned in your business anymore, it could feel like it’s harder to manage those challenges. And when you are in charge of something as large as a business, it’s important to make weighted decisions from a clear, rational head.
Below you will find some useful exercises to evaluate if you are in alignment with your life and your business, and hopefully lead to answers on how to make shifts that lead to overall fulfillment and success.
4 Ways to Enter 2023 in Alignment
Year-End Reviews
Many companies hold Year-End Reviews to assess the past year and to establish clear goals for the year to come. Whether you WFH for a big company, do freelance work, run a small business or are a solopreneur, you can always have a Year-End Review.
If you are in charge of leading the Reviews or are conducting one for your own business, keep in mind there is not a wrong way to go about these sessions.
Here are a few helpful tips to keep the meeting helpful and productive:
– Set Clear Expectations for the Review
– Pre-Plan what areas you want to discuss
– Document Feedback
– Offer Constructive Feedback
– Establish Goals and document as those goals get achieved
– Be open and respectful
Free Write or Journal
Journaling can be a very helpful way to process ideas, thoughts, and emotions…which in turn can free up space in our mind to focus on what’s important to us.
Sometimes using journal prompts to help get you going are great! If you think that would work for you, perhaps buy a prompted journal or print out some journal prompts to have on hand. Another popular technique, especially for those looking to dive into their creativity, is to Free Write, which basically means to just spill your heart out on the page. Keep the pen on the paper and whatever pops into your mind goes onto the page.
Author and artist, Julia Cameron, is a go-to resource when it comes to tapping into your creativity. In her book, The Artist’s Way, she describes the journaling process as The Morning Pages – a technique that is supposed to help quiet your inner critic and allow your true thoughts, dreams, and wants to make themselves known. The concept is simple – wake up and write at least three pages. Every. Single. Morning. Wow!
Whether you find yourself following The Morning Pages technique or hit the page just every now and then, we can guarantee writing out some thoughts will help keep your mind clear and focused!
Reflection Questions
Whether it is through journaling, a year-end review, or a thoughtful discussion, here are some helpful questions to help you gauge if you are in alignment.
- How would I describe this year in one sentence?
- What was particularly positive for me this year?
- What was rather negative for me this year? What didn’t turn out as expected?
- What have been the biggest changes for me this year?
- What did I do particularly well this year?
- What did I struggle with this year?
- Have I achieved all the goals I’ve set for this year?
- What could be the reason for accomplishing or not accomplishing them? Do I blame external circumstances for the outcome or was it me? (Try to be as precise as possible here)
- Was there a particular “aha moment” or a “moment of awakening” for me this year? How would I describe it?
How could I use this new gained knowledge in the future? - Is there anything I need to change or adjust in my life to be able to implement this knowledge?
- Which events and changes had the biggest impact on my life this year?
- What was my biggest challenge this year? And how did I cope with it? In retrospect, would I do anything differently? If so, what? (Try to be as specific as possible here too)
- What was my biggest achievement this year?
- What am I particularly grateful for this year?
- What is one thing I regret not doing this year? Why haven’t I? And how can I make sure to do it in the upcoming year?
- How do I want to feel this upcoming year?
–Source
Rituals
Through mindful actions, such as rituals, you can connect to your hopes and wishes for the new year on a deeper level.
One example of a New Year Ritual to try is to the following:
Write down on a piece of paper what you would like to release from this past year. It could be pain, anger, frustration, situations…whatever feels authentic to you.
On another piece of paper, write down what you want to receive in the new year, such as peace of mind, confidence, financial abundance…again, it’s going to be personal to you.
While outside, safely burn the first piece of paper that states what you would like to release from the past year. On the second piece of paper that states what you would like to receive, make a small hole in the ground and bury that piece of paper, as if you are planting a seed for it to grow.
Need help finding alignment between your life and your business?
Let Haven help.
Don’t let running a business run your life. Haven Collective is not only a place for people to collect and get work done, it is a community that fosters professional success and personal fulfillment.
With a Haven membership, you will gain access to our Resource Collection. The Resource Collection is stocked with content surrounding not only business topics, but also wellness and personal development tips. Every personal and professional development event adds to our growing collection too, so you never miss an ounce of information that could help you grow and feel more productive and fulfilled.
By joining Haven, you will commit not only to taking care of your business, but to taking care of the star of the show – YOU.
If you are looking to build your business AND prioritize your own fulfillment, click below to see if Haven Collective is the next step for you!