Inspired by Julie’s own reflecting, here are three questions to consider:
1. Julie says a common struggle for start-up founders is being so in love with their company that they’ll gladly sacrifice other aspects of their life in order to bring their business into the world. Of course, the rub is, that what gets neglected in the process of blind devotion and hustling heroically is often essential if a business is to sustain itself, not to mention if we are to maintain our sanity. Sacrifice in the name of love is not unique to the startup world though. Ask yourself, when was the last time a project or person consumed your attention? Was this particular subject saving you from something (financial instability, singleness, boredom, etc.) or sparking something new in you (creativity, collaboration, connection, etc.)? How would balancing your focus, rather than getting lost in this project or person, have actually added to your success holistically?
2. During her first year of law school, Julie lost touch with her social circle as well as her social side and found herself isolated in a stack of books. The cure come summer break? Reuniting with friends and rebuilding connections that she swore not to neglect when school started back up. Is there anyone in your life that you’ve lost touch with? Maybe you feel guilty that communication died out or like too much time has passed to circle back. If you put your guilt and pride to the side, who would you reach out to and what would you want to share with them first?
3. Julie talks about what it takes to crash in her bed at the end of a day feeling her absolute happiest. What do you need out of a normal day to feel happy? Before closing your eyes tonight, what and who do you want to thank the world for?
Now, it’s your turn to reflect.