This time of year always gets me into reflection mode as I think of what I’ve accomplished and the lessons I’ve learned. This time last year, I was just getting used to calling myself an entrepreneur and was preparing for my final days at my day job (not by choice I might add). A bit blinded to what was coming next, but fully open to the experience, I took the leap into my new career and new identity and looking back now, I’m so glad I did.

I wish I could say the last year and a half in business has been easy, abundant, and free-flowing, but if I’m completely honest it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, at least not while I was going through it. Looking back now, I can see many amazing lessons I’ve learned that seem to be a bit universal in the business world. My hope is that they help you as you move along your own journey.

1. Follow your heart. When I first set out on my journey, I had incredible inspiration, faith, and trust in the process. I began with one thought in mind regarding who I wanted to serve and how I would go about it. When I began meeting other entrepreneurs further along the path than I, I began to doubt my gifts. It took almost a full year of trying different methods (methods that worked for other entrepreneurs) before I finally got back to what inspired me in the first place. Once I followed my heart (again) things really started to take off. 
2. Trust your intuition. I work with women all the time, helping them to tap into the incredible resource that we all have within…our intuition. But for a long time I didn’t trust my own intuition. When things felt like they weren’t working, I thought I was doing something wrong and I began looking for answers outside of myself. I wanted someone to give me all the answers as to how I could finally break through what I was missing and just tell me what to do. Funny enough, when I stopped searching for the answers outside of myself, I found everything I needed. 
3. Give it some time. This is probably not something you want to hear and to be honest, I didn’t want to hear it either, but it’s true. There are a ton of lessons to learn in business and it often comes with a steep learning curve. Flow almost never happens immediately and comes in waves, so if it doesn’t work the first time, know it will take some time. There is no set formula to create a crazy abundant business…it just takes some time. 
4. You may get to a point when you want to give up…don’t. If you would have told me a little over a year ago that there would be a time in the near future when I would think about quitting, I wouldn’t have believed you. I had no idea that after all the inspiration, excitement, and passion I felt starting my business that there might be some slow times (with a lot of learning) when I might think of giving up. That moment hit me just a few months ago but lucky for me and my business…I kept going. It wasn’t always an easy decision to keep going, but when I thought of giving up on my dream, I knew I couldn’t. 
5. Be yourself. While I wasn’t trying to be like anyone in particular, I realized a few months ago, I wasn’t being myself completely. Instead of writing and sharing what I wanted to, I was writing and sharing what I thought people wanted to read/hear. I wasn’t serving my tribe from my heart and instead I was over thinking the entire process of my business. When I was able to be myself fully and share my entire journey, things just felt easier but more importantly, I was being 100% authentic. 

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who are ready and willing to grow, evolve, and expand their comfort zones and learn the many lessons that come along the way. Despite the number of lessons I have learned in the last year, I’m sure there are many more waiting for me and I’m ready for the challenge.

What lessons have you learned in the last year?