Reflect, Reframe, and Reset: Why Reviewing Your Year is Vital for Business and Life Balance
As a woman running your own business, it’s easy to feel like you’re wearing countless hats and juggling endless tasks. But as the year comes to a close, it’s important to hit pause—to reflect on your journey, celebrate your achievements, and reset your priorities for the year ahead.
Taking this time isn’t just a smart business practice; it’s essential for your overall well-being. Reviewing your year allows you to identify where your efforts are paying off, where adjustments are needed, and how balanced your life truly feels.
Join Our Session: Time to Review 2024 with Alison Taylor
To support you in this important process, we’re thrilled to announce our next WBN meeting will be co-hosted by Alison Taylor, a valued member of the Women’s Business Network (WBN). Alison brings a wealth of expertise and will lead us through reflective and practical exercises to reframe our mindset and plan for success.
The session will take place on 28th November at 1pm and promises to be an empowering and practical opportunity to review your year and set meaningful intentions for 2025. Alison also contributed a chapter in our recent WBN book, The Womens Business Network Guide to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur sharing her expertise to inspire and uplift women in business.
Book your place you won’t want to miss this chance to gain clarity, focus, and motivation alongside like-minded women.
The Value of Reflection for Women in Business
As entrepreneurs, we often focus on forward momentum: reaching the next milestone, securing the next client, or launching the next idea. But when was the last time you took a step back to assess how far you’ve come?
Reflection is a gift you give yourself—a chance to celebrate wins, analyse challenges, and reconnect with the bigger vision driving your business. It’s also an opportunity to ensure that your business aligns with your personal values and goals.
From a personal perspective, reflection helps you evaluate whether you’re maintaining a healthy balance. Are you carving out time for family, friends, self-care, and rest? For many women, life’s demands can easily blur the lines between business and personal priorities. Taking time to reflect helps you recalibrate.
Why Balance Matters More Than Ever
Here’s the truth – you are not just a business owner. You’re likely also a mother, partner, friend, mentor, or carer. Balancing these roles can feel overwhelming, but balance isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about being intentional with your time and energy.
When life feels off-balance, it can lead to burnout, reduced creativity, and even resentment towards your work. By periodically reviewing your year, you can identify the areas that need nurturing—whether that’s your business strategy, self-care routine, or relationships.
Sharon says “I reached a point early 2023 where I was heading for burn-out. Fortunately I recognised what was happening and took a step back to reassess both my business and my personal life to ensure that I could find the right balance. I cannot stress the importance of being self-aware, managing stress levels and monitoring your own health and wellbeing”
The Wheel of Life: A Holistic Tool for Reflection
One powerful way to review your life is by using the Wheel of Life exercise. This visual tool helps you assess how satisfied you are in different areas of your life. For entrepreneurs, it’s especially valuable because it reveals where business pursuits might be overshadowing other priorities.
How to Use the Wheel of Life
- Draw Your Wheel
- Create a circle divided into segments, with each segment representing a key role or responsibility in your life (e.g., business owner, mother, friend, community leader, etc.).
- Rate Your Satisfaction
- Along each segment, rate your satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being unsatisfied and 10 being completely fulfilled.
- Connect the Dots
- Join the dots on each segment to visualise your balance. Is your wheel smooth, or are there areas that need attention?
Reflect on Your Results
Ask yourself:
- What stands out?
- Which areas are thriving? Which are struggling?
- What do you want to focus on in the year ahead?
This simple exercise offers a clear snapshot of where you’re excelling and where adjustments are needed.
Reflecting on Your Business: What Worked, What Didn’t?
Reflection isn’t just for personal growth—it’s also a powerful business tool. To grow your business sustainably, you need to understand what’s driving results and what’s holding you back.
Key Areas to Evaluate
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- Goals: Are your original goals still relevant, or do they need updating?
- Sales and Income: How has your revenue grown? What products or services performed best?
- Time Management: Are you spending your time on high-value tasks, or are you getting bogged down in busywork?
- Marketing: Which campaigns worked well? What was your ROI?
- Customer Feedback: Are your clients satisfied? What have you learned from their feedback?
The goal here isn’t to dwell on what didn’t go as planned but to use your insights to refine your approach.
Reframing Challenges into Opportunities
When reviewing your year, it’s natural to encounter areas that didn’t meet your expectations. Instead of seeing these as failures, view them as opportunities to grow.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- What lessons can I take from this challenge?
- Was the issue due to preparation, timing, or external factors?
- How can I pivot or improve in this area moving forward?
For example, if a marketing campaign underperformed, consider whether the message resonated with your audience or if timing played a role. Reframing these challenges with a solution-oriented mindset sets the stage for improvement.
Resetting for the New Year: Aligning Your Business and Life
Once you’ve reflected and reframed, it’s time to reset your intentions. This isn’t about setting lofty resolutions you’ll forget by February; it’s about creating realistic, actionable goals that align with your values and vision.
Business Reset
- Refine Your Goals: Break them into quarterly or monthly milestones.
- Focus on Growth Areas: Identify skills or resources you need to move forward.
- Simplify Your Strategies: Eliminate tasks or projects that aren’t yielding results.
Personal Reset
- Prioritise Self-Care: Schedule regular time for yourself—whether it’s a yoga class, a long bath, or simply reading a book.
- Strengthen Connections: Make time for loved ones and nurturing relationships that fuel you.
- Set Boundaries: Protect your time and energy by learning to say no to commitments that don’t align with your priorities.
Conclusion: Reflect, Reframe, and Reset for a Fulfilling Year Ahead
As women in business, we pour so much of ourselves into our work. But to truly thrive, we must take a step back to reflect on what’s working, reframe our challenges, and reset our focus for the future.
By reviewing your year holistically—business and personal—you can create a more balanced, fulfilling life. Remember, success isn’t just about hitting targets; it’s about building a business and life that align with your values and bring you joy.
Don’t forget to join our WBN Meeting with Alison Taylor on 28th November for an empowering session to guide you through this process. Together, we’ll close the year with intention and clarity!
What’s one insight you’ve gained from reviewing your year? Share your thoughts—I’d love to hear your story.
