Alicia Grimes is the cofounder of The Future Kind Collective — an agency that helps startups to set up efficient operating systems. She’s also a big fan of finding frameworks to support work.
“As founders, we spend the majority of the year focused on our businesses, with little time to reflect,” she says. “Taking time during the holidays to step back from the intensity of the day-to-day operations and do that is vital.”
Here are her top tips for ensuring you create time and space to gain clarity, recharge and reconnect with what really matters.
Create the right environment
To truly reflect, get out of your usual workspace and into a different setting — nature works wonders. Allow your mind to breathe by switching your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ and using a pen and paper for writing instead of a note app on your phone.
I’m a big fan of the Design Your Life framework, which provides a useful way to map how you're doing across four key areas of your life:
- Work: paid and unpaid work that contributes to your career or purpose.
- Play: activities that spark joy such as hobbies, sports or spending time with friends.
- Love: this can be wide ranging. Think of it as anything that creates a sense of deep connection.
- Health: physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Once you’ve got everything outlined and written down, rate where you are today on a scale of 0 to 10 (example below). Then, write down the things that need to happen to make each one a 10. Here’s more on the process.
Get clarity
Write down your personal aspirations and your company's vision.
- Where are the overlaps?
- Are they both driving towards the same end goal?
- Do you both have the same why?
- And if not, what needs adjusting?
This isn’t a one off activity. You need regular, quarterly check-ins to ensure your priorities are aligned with your company’s. This also helps you see whether the work you’re doing still aligns with your personal goals, values and passions.
Audit your time
How much was spent on work, family, friends and self care? What tasks or projects have left you feeling invigorated? What has drained you? It’s important as a founder to have your own views, but this is also a good time to bring the perspective of others into your reflections. Ask your trusted team members or advisors if they've noticed a shift in your enthusiasm or focus.
Map out the relationships in your life — both personal and professional.
- Have you invested enough time and energy in the people who matter most?
- Consider the quality of your interactions. Are they mutual and balanced?
Again, asking for feedback from others can uncover areas to strengthen these connections.
Give time to challenges
It’s hard thinking about failure, but you need to reframe it as a learning opportunity. Use your reflection time to break down what happened, what you learnt and how it can shape you going forward. There are two frameworks I use for this:
- The 4 L's framework. Ask yourself: What did I learn? What did I like? What was lacking? What did I long for? Then map it on a quadrant. Capture the key themes that come out of it.
- The Start, Stop, Continue method.
- What can you start doing: What’s missing from your current approach?
- What can you stop doing: What’s holding you back or draining your energy?
- What can you continue doing: What do you want to maintain or double down on?
Try the ‘future letter’ exercise
Write a letter to yourself one year in the future. Imagine looking back at the year just gone:
- What are you proud of?
- What lessons have you learned?
- How have you taken care of yourself?
This exercise not only clarifies your aspirations but also sets a clear intention for the year ahead. And then when you get to open that letter a year later, reflect on whether you managed to stay true to that. It’s a lovely annual ritual.
On the subject of... annual reviews
1. How to keep your team learning, constantly. One from the archives.
2. Anisah’s favourite review ritual. YearCompass is a free framework that helps you reflect with a set of carefully selected questions and exercises.
