Kia ora,

Today’s newsletter is heavily inspired by questions I read in Colby Kultgen’s 1% Better newsletter, which I thought would also resonate with the Business-Minded community.

Reflecting on the year is really powerful, and I hope this helps provide some guidance. If you want to share your reflections with me, hit reply – it makes my day hearing from you!

Estimated Read time: 4 minutes 53 seconds

The Deep Dive: 9 Questions to Offboard 2024

(I’ve filled out my answers below to give you some inspiration!)

 1. What achievements am I most proud of?

• Starting this newsletter!

• Buying a second property

• Pivoting and pushing myself out of my comfort zone

• Building a community online, IRL, and here

• Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network

• Learning to invest and building a portfolio

2. What people/activities added most energy to my life this year?

• Going to aligned networking events and getting confident at introducing myself first

• Inviting people from LinkedIn for coffee and finding an amazing community

• Making time for getting outdoors

• Making time for family

3. Where did I take risks this year and where did I hold back?

• Where I took risks: Taking on a corporate role on top of my business to learn (yes, many would argue corporate is way less risky than business, but for me it was a massive jump).

• Where I held back: I’ve held back in my business this year while I figure out my next evolution, but honestly I’m comfortable with this.

4. What did I learn and what did I unlearn?

What did I learnt:

• Your identity is not what you do. A long time ago, I thought my identity and worth were tied to my level of fitness. Then I thought it was tied to my business and being a business owner. But really if you show up with a growth mindset, a willingness to learn and a desire to connect, people support you because of WHO you are, not WHAT you do.

 What I unlearnt:

• That success has to look a certain way. I was worried scaling down my agency would be a failure. And while I really had to grieve the closing of that chapter, I look at how I have evolved this year and realise that everything about that transition was actually really successful: I retained clients, saw my team into new roles, maintained a great friendship with my business partner and leaned into new challenges. Sometimes your worst-case scenario turns out the be the best thing that ever happened to you.

5. Was I playing a game with a prize I actually want?

• I saw a quote the other day which said “If you don’t know which port you’re sailing to, no wind is favourable.” At the start of this year, I decided 2024 was going to be about 3 things: financial abundance, community and learning. Looking back, everything I’ve done this year has been aligned to one of those three things.

6. What got too much of my attention and what didn’t get enough?

• Too much: social media and its chokehold. In 2024, I deleted all socials aside from LinkedIn off my phone which made a big difference, but my screen time could still do with some work.

• Not enough: Mandarin. I put this on the back burner as I was supposed to head to China this year, but plans changed and I am now VERY rusty.

7. What were my best days this year and how can I create more of them?

• My best days were the days I felt entirely present: i.e. focussed at the gym, got into a flow state at work, got my steps in, and connected with loved ones. Being really intentional with how I structure my week and use my devices will play a big part in more fulfilling days.

8. What am I grateful for?

• He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. The people have been a huge theme for me this year: grateful for my parents; my network of professionals; people I’ve met on LinkedIn and at events; my partner; my friends who are understanding when it takes me 20 business days to respond; Business-Minded readers; the team who’ve made my foray into corporate an awesome experience.

9. What small actions can I create today to set myself up for success for 2025?

• My action for today has been this – reflecting, and planning my first week back. In the new year after spending 10 days in a particularly rugged patch of NZ wilderness I will crack into intentions and goals.

Action of the Week:

What are your answers to these 9 questions?

1. What achievements am I most proud of?

2. What people/activities added the most energy to my life this year?

3. Where did I take risks this year and where did I hold back?

4. What did I learn and what did I unlearn?

5. Was I playing a game with a prize I actually want?

6. What got too much of my attention and what didn’t get enough?

7. What were my best days this year and how can I create more of them?

8. What am I grateful for?

9. What small actions can I create today to set myself up for success for 2025?

Inspo & Recommendations:

LinkedIn post: “12 People Who Brighten my Feed on LinkedIn” by Clarissa Hirst

Podcast ep: How to Find Your Passion by Do You F*cking Mind

Learning: In-box newsletter. Gavin’s newsletter has taught me a lot about email marketing.

Tech: I bought a Kiwi Ultralight sleep quilt to replace my amazing but very heavy sleeping bag and I am SO impressed. I also love that it’s made in NZ. (in preparation for my 10 day hike, the only tech on my mind is all outdoorsy-related).

Money: Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. It’s a very social & spenny time of year, and your financial habits might not be as on point as usual. It can be tempting to self-flagellate which inevitably leads to us spending even more. If you allow yourself to save 30%-50% of whatever your norm is over the festive season, you’ll probably find yourself actually sticking to some form of savings habit rather than falling off the wagon entirely.

Love from your business-minded friend,

Elise