Lessons learned the second month
It’s officially month no. 2 and there’s so much I’ve learned in that short time. From trying not to feel guilty to coming into my own routine here are some important lessons I’ve learned along the way:
1. Social media is a necessary evil
I had a personal instagram account that I’ve had for a few years now where I share random posts about my day to day. It was originally an account I had when I was freelancing in Philadelphia and decided to keep it only for personal use when I took a hiatus. Leaving 2018 and coming into the new year, my goal was to increase sales by activating my social media sector. A great Youtube channel I follow, The Futur, talks a lot about the business of design and how social media should help and not hurt your business. One of the points they stressed is having consistency in content and using appropriate hashtags to reach a wider audience. So in an effort to start things off right I created a work account specifically for my business and anything related to it. I’m hoping that by starting from scratch I can implement some social media best practices to help my business grow in a sustainable and measurable way. Stay tuned for monthly updates!
2. We all need help
So ask for it. Also, accept help when it is being offered. It’s a great thing to be able to handle your own and build an empire but remember that nobody does it alone and there’s a fine line between capable and proud. Don’t sell yourself short because of inflexibility.
3. Reflect and improve
At the end of every year I find myself feeling very introspective and reflective on how well I did keeping up with goals set in the beginning of the year. One of the recurring themes I’m always motivated to tackle is self improvement. I find that I focus a lot of my energy honing skills, refining process, or just brainstorming ways to improve something. I think the key to success as you approach these questions is your attitude. If you look at it from a chore or drill perspective, you might not keep up with it for as long as you intended. Instead try approaching the subject as something you’re doing to make any certain circumstance in your life better. Believe me, no matter how painful or stuck you might feel in a situation, not doing anything will certainly not change anything.
4. Time management looks different for everyone
Overwhelmed by the best possible ROI for your newly freed-up scheming time? Cut it into chunks. Never has my time management skills been more crucial than now. Before I took the leap I talked with lots of other business owners who’ve been in the game longer and the consensus seems to be - Free time is great, you can do whatever you want, but you’re also responsible for how you spend it. As if that’s not overwhelming enough, we’re also bombarded everyday about what we should and shouldn’t do, best practices, etc. The answer is is that there’s no one-size-fits-all scenario. A 9 - 5 strategy might work for some people but not everyone. Instead I encourage you to track how you spend your time and when in the day are you most productive. I find it helpful to cut my time into chunks. I’m most productive from 7 - 11 am, take a break, see something new, go outside, then go back for another few hours from 3 to 8. The key is to be honest with where you want to be and how you plan on getting there. Everyday is different but managing time is a skill you’ll be glad to have.
5. Commit
Finally you need to commit. Spread out your goals into very doable segments and tackle them one at a time. The important thing to note here is to set your intentions, create an objective and follow through with your plan. Adhering to the plan strictly might not work or things might change but what’s important is that you’re chipping away at your goals no matter how big or small.
“If you want to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”
CHECK THIS OUT: Lessons learned the first month