Being in the thick of Winter calls for recharging the energetic batteries and easing into the year. The deep calling for rest meant gathering my thoughts and reflecting on 2022, what I hope to let go of, and some of the big lessons I’d be taking forward into 2023.

I hope some of my lessons and experiences resonate with you!

What I'm bringing into 2023…

‘Leaning into what feels good’ is a mantra I heard via the Joyful Coach Sophie Cliff, and it’s something I intend to take with me throughout 2023. Here are some of my top intentions to help me do that…

Regular business retreats/getting away from screens more often

In 2022, the retreats I had were lowkey weekends away with small groups of business pals, getting out of our everyday bubbles and having majorly fun times together. They featured hours-long discussions about business, life, health etc, co-working time, fabulous food, and just the most comforting vibes you could ask for.

This year, I aim to have at least one business retreat per quarter and use that time to get away from the daily grind, reflect and recalibrate for the next quarter. Getting out of London did me a world of good (especially after the past few years of not being able to travel so easily), and getting to explore new cities is always a fun adventure.

I also want to switch up my day-to-day routines as well. In the latter half of 2022, I got so caught up in starting work as soon as possible in the mornings, as it always felt like something needed to be done (in hindsight, things can wait).

My intention is to bring back the slower mornings, go for more walks to start the day, head to local coffee shops and parks… do the things that make me feel more alive and less like a workaholic robot.

Reclaiming my boundaries, reducing the people pleasing.

I LOVE setting good boundaries. I’m always happy to help people figure out what boundaries they can try to help their sanity when things feel overwhelming.

There were quite a few times last year though that I definitely didn't practice what I preach, broke my own boundaries out of FOMO and people-pleasing, and very much learned a valuable lesson… Don’t cave on your own boundaries if the opportunity doesn’t feel 100% aligned.

Now, I am only human, and life is about embracing the messy middle and learning those tough lessons when they arise. So while breaking your boundaries doesn’t feel good, the learnings can help you figure out what you truly value and what matters most to you going forward.

For me, it’s having ease and fun within my life and business, not filling up all of my free time with work. Breaking my boundaries with people-pleasing goes against that, so in 2023, I’ll be working on setting more solid expectations and boundaries for myself and future clients.

black woman's hands writing in a journal

Dedicating more time to writing.

I imagine we all do it at some point. Set grand plans for ourselves, and figure out all the ins and outs of how we're finally going to take action…but never actually set time aside to DO the thing!

#GuiltyAsCharged 👀

One of those things for me is writing more, whether that’s through blogging or journaling. When I get into the flow, it’s something I really enjoy doing, but my biggest challenge is getting the flow started.

Like other small business owners I’ve spoken to, one of my intentions for 2023 is to take a step back from social media and put more energy into blogging and email marketing - the more long-term platforms. I did start doing this in 2022, but it took a while to find my rhythm with lots of stopping and starting. I have an arbitrary goal for how many blogs I’d like to write this year, but my main focus is on getting the writing reps in and building the habit from there.

Exploring Human Design more within my creative process.

Learning about Human Design and exploring what that means to me as a business owner has been a really eye-opening experience. It explains a lot about the ways in which I work best, the patterns and habits that drain me, plus it’s given me insight into opportunities for building a more sustainable business that I love and enjoy.

As a 6/3 Generator, my strategy for success is to wait to respond (especially when it comes to making big decisions, as I need to take my time rather than responding impulsively) and to live through a trial and error process, sharing what I learn from those experiences with others.

As a natural builder, I’m here to help bring ideas to life. But, it has to be in a way where I’m doing more of what I love, rather than following ‘shoulds’ from other people.

Embodying being a Generator means aiming to slow down to go fast, seeing what works, what doesn’t and keeping things interesting and playful. I’m excited to see how I can bring this new wealth of knowledge into my creative process more consciously, and how things shift throughout the year.

Now onto what I’m leaving behind in 2022…

Not trusting my gut and letting my mind always lead

“Trusting your gut” may sound like a cliché “woo” phrase, but it's one of the most hard-hitting lessons I think we all need to take more stock of this year.

When something feels off - LISTEN to your gut.

If a potential client gives you bad vibes from the beginning, or at any point during your time working together, don't feel compelled to keep working with them just because of the money if you can go your separate ways amicably.

You deserve to work with people who feel like a delight to work with, and the energetics of the whole project will feel way more joyful. Looking back on decisions made in 2022, I’ve come to realise that the times when I trusted my gut and followed what felt right always turned out to be the best decisions, compared to doing what I thought I should do and not feeling great about it later.

Not buying every course out there

Have you ever sat down and listed out every course or workshop you bought that, at the time, you just “had to have”?

I went through this process in the latter half of 2022, and jeez, what an eye-opening experience because… confession time:

Buying courses is my kryptonite.
Buying courses and letting them sit untouched is a toxic trait of mine, and I’m finally wanting to do something about it.

Enter a 2023 course buying ban!

Suppose you’re a course-buying fanatic like past me. In that case, you probably don’t realise how many there actually are in your course graveyard. Listing them all is a scary thing to do (I can’t lie). Still, it’s also liberating to get really honest with yourself and see that you don’t need to constantly over-invest in the information you most likely already have resources for.

Great marketing messaging will get you to buy all of the things. But taking the time to be less impulsive with investments will benefit your bottom line and your general mental space.

Last-minute project requests, overworking and saying ‘yes’ too quickly.

Related to my point about reclaiming my boundaries, a big lesson learned from 2022 is that I need to start saying ‘no’ more often. As much as I love the work I do and the clients I get to work with, the toxic productivity that comes with constantly saying yes and taking on last-minute projects regularly isn’t something I want to bring forward into a new year.

My mind and soul are calling for more space away from work, and more time to be. I also want to dedicate a bit more time to working ON my business rather than in it 90% of the time, especially as I want to bring in new things like passive income streams.

To work on overcoming the workaholic patterns, I’m being really intentional with my availability, blocking regular breaks into my calendar, and not caving in on my own boundaries if an opportunity doesn’t feel like a full body yes.

It won’t be an easy journey, but the future me at the end of 2023 will be grateful for it.

So that’s my reflections for 2022!

Overall, it was a mixed bag of a year, but one I’m grateful for in many ways. I’ve got a bunch of additional notes and specific goals in my notebook and in Notion that I’m moving forward with into 2023, but I thought this would be a good place to share my bigger intentions and experiences with you.

Speaking of 2023…

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