21 Things I've Learned From 6 Months of Focus This 2021
Sunday, July 25, 2021It's almost August, but I've been meaning to take notes of the lessons this year has dropped to my face.
Others are peachy, but most of them are hard-hitting truths that you can't circle around. So here it goes.
1. Try new things for the sake of trying new things.
You don't have to have a *productive* agenda in doing so.
You'll be surprised about how you enjoyed ad-libbing in front of the camera. You'll be surprised how comfortable you actually were when you first hosted a Facebook LIVE. You'll be surprised that you actually like building your own team even when you got fired as a Marketing Manager before
You'll be surprised about how you enjoyed ad-libbing in front of the camera. You'll be surprised how comfortable you actually were when you first hosted a Facebook LIVE. You'll be surprised that you actually like building your own team even when you got fired as a Marketing Manager before
2. When you're diving in—in a client project, new passion project, or a long-term business—there's no automatic button that you could hit to pause mid-air and fly back to the diving board.
You will fall hard and smack your face (or butt, like I did in an open lake once) in a matter of seconds, but it's a whole new world. Embrace it.
What would your days be like 1 month, 6 months, or 12 months in? Is that what you really want? Are you ready to face the kind of challenges this path would introduce?
Of course, you will never be ready, but you have to be sure that you're 100% in pushing on when the problems arrive.
As they say, knowing what types of problems you want to solve will help you determine the kind of career you want to build.
As they say, knowing what types of problems you want to solve will help you determine the kind of career you want to build.
4. Others will tell you it's a limiting belief, but only people who really get you will tell you that it's not.
It's self-awareness because you know what you really want—and don't want in life. Be careful with whom you'll listen to.
5. Hire slow, fire fast.
This is good advice. But... Since I'm bad at firing, I really take my time to find and hire the right people, the people that:
- I vibe with
- Match my energy level (at least for my writers)
- Can question my opinions (I need a devil's advocate, a co-checker, and someone I can rely on so yes-girls can't be the partners I hope to be)
6. It pays to KNOW YOURSELF.
Take the Clifton Strengths Test.
Come back to me after you hear results. I'd like to know how it changed your life as it had changed mine. :)
Sidestory: I started accepting SaaS consulting clients because turns out, I am #1 Strategic!
Sidestory: I started accepting SaaS consulting clients because turns out, I am #1 Strategic!
7. The permission to do whatever is in your hands.
Sure, there are people who have been there. They will give you good advice. But those advice are advice that worked for themselves.
You are unique so ALL their advice may not work on you. Have the wisdom to evaluate for yourself. Follow their advice, but make it your own.
As for me, people around me have been telling me how I need to FOCUS on one thing, until I learned that I was a multipotentialite.
As for me, people around me have been telling me how I need to FOCUS on one thing, until I learned that I was a multipotentialite.
So those advice has stressed me out. I'm forging my own path this year and I've never been happier!
Whole story here:
Listen to them and you'll hear your expressions from them.
The work you need to put in it to make it work will become heavier and heavier as the years go by. At the same time, the love you'll have for each other will also grow. It happens simultaneously.
19. Keep some of your hobbies as hobbies.
You don't have to make money out of them.
20. Attract everything—clients, friends, teammates, business partners, agency partners.
Whole story here:
8. You will lose yourself during some seasons of your life (i.e., when you first became a mother).
But that doesn't mean you cannot get some parts of your old self back after you have settled in.
And this brings me to the next one.
But that doesn't mean you cannot get some parts of your old self back after you have settled in.
And this brings me to the next one.
9. Get some parts of your old self back to feel like you're YOU again.
Because suppressing who you truly are will only result in misery.
Get back to painting. Listen to other songs other than nursery rhymes. Write one line about your day when your kid goes to sleep.
Get back to painting. Listen to other songs other than nursery rhymes. Write one line about your day when your kid goes to sleep.
10. Kids really are sponges.
They take on after you. They learn things fast especially from 1-3 years so make the most of these years.
Listen to them and you'll hear your expressions from them.
11. When you have a team, you have to let go of doing the actual work.
You have to accept that they can't produce the same work as you do—it could be worse, but it could also be better than yours.
But here's what you have to get right.
"Letting go of the work" doesn't mean letting poor-quality work slip through. The client would always notice and it will come back to you.
This means that when your team is young, you'll have to work double or triple than what you have done before.
And that's okay. Everything will get easier after some time. It's going to be worth it.
You have to accept that they can't produce the same work as you do—it could be worse, but it could also be better than yours.
But here's what you have to get right.
"Letting go of the work" doesn't mean letting poor-quality work slip through. The client would always notice and it will come back to you.
This means that when your team is young, you'll have to work double or triple than what you have done before.
And that's okay. Everything will get easier after some time. It's going to be worth it.
12. Have a plan when these slip-offs happen.
Make it part of your system.
Planning doesn't only mean what to do to get things right. It also includes what to do when things are not right.
13. Take note of your mistakes and incorporate something in the system that would prevent the same mistakes from happening.
Do this weekly. Yes, weekly. Proactivity over emergency response plans always.
14. Realign weekly.
Are you accepting projects that are in line with your big goals? If not, why so? What will you do about it?
Make it part of your system.
Planning doesn't only mean what to do to get things right. It also includes what to do when things are not right.
13. Take note of your mistakes and incorporate something in the system that would prevent the same mistakes from happening.
Do this weekly. Yes, weekly. Proactivity over emergency response plans always.
14. Realign weekly.
Are you accepting projects that are in line with your big goals? If not, why so? What will you do about it?
15. Marriage vs. career. If you feel like you have to choose between the two, choose the first.
The work you need to put in it to make it work will become heavier and heavier as the years go by. At the same time, the love you'll have for each other will also grow. It happens simultaneously.
16. Copywriting works in everything.
My kid. My husband. My community. You should wear your copywriting hat on when you want to get what you want. Just don't be manipulative for the wrong and reasons.
My kid. My husband. My community. You should wear your copywriting hat on when you want to get what you want. Just don't be manipulative for the wrong and reasons.
17. You don't have to choose from the things that you want to do in life.
You just have to choose what to do FIRST.
18. Get a team. Stay lean.
And choose people who work as hard as you, if you can. :) So once you can afford to scale, you can scale like crazy!
19. Keep some of your hobbies as hobbies.
You don't have to make money out of them.
20. Attract everything—clients, friends, teammates, business partners, agency partners.
It will eliminate 50% of the things that you need to do to keep your pipeline full.
Attracting will filter out the wrong fit for you and you don't even have to sell yourself so they'll like you back.
As to how do to do it... Here. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Post that baby pic on your timeline. Dress how you want to. Use "fuck" in your value posts if that's who you truly are in real life.
Attracting will filter out the wrong fit for you and you don't even have to sell yourself so they'll like you back.
As to how do to do it... Here. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Post that baby pic on your timeline. Dress how you want to. Use "fuck" in your value posts if that's who you truly are in real life.
21. Listen to others, but most of all, listen to YOUR effing self.
As Ash Ambridge would say, "Have enough respect to listen to yourself, for anything else is neglect."
There are 4.5 months left in 2021. Make them worthwhile. There are still enough days to start working on your goals this year.
P.S. I'm sooooo glad I took Ash Ambridge's Creative Writing Class. Been applying her first 2 lessons in this post and I feel like the old writer me is back, but she's wayyyy better. I missed writing my thoughts like this.
There are 4.5 months left in 2021. Make them worthwhile. There are still enough days to start working on your goals this year.
P.S. I'm sooooo glad I took Ash Ambridge's Creative Writing Class. Been applying her first 2 lessons in this post and I feel like the old writer me is back, but she's wayyyy better. I missed writing my thoughts like this.
📸 Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash
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