Reflections

So the other day I tweeted that I had been unemployed for about 5 months now. One of my friends replied with the quickness that I have been running a business for the same amount of time. My tweet wasn’t meant as a pity party but just a reminder that I have been surviving without something that I once thought was so important.

Don’t get me wrong. Things aren’t easy which is why I said above that I am surviving. I have had to make sacrifices and add more responsibilities in the meantime. But my job was something I thought I couldn’t do without. For four years I committed myself to the company and did my best to grow the organization in an organic and honest manner. Endings are bittersweet and in the midst of the COVID pandemic, I was leaning towards bitter. But thank God!

Everything happens for a reason and this was the perfect storm to catapult me into the business my friend was referring to on Twitter. In a few of my blogs I mention Tropsical which is the name of my ice pop business. Think Mexican paletas. I truly believe in the product and brand. I want Tropsical to be a household name on the island. I enjoy making the recipes and trying new flavors. I love people’s reactions when they taste one. I am so grateful for all of the support I have received so far and can’t wait to keep growing.

Building Tropsical the brand is a daily job. Between prepping and producing, I also have to work on research and development as well as marketing. I am juggling more tasks than when I was working for someone yet I don’t feel as stressed. Part of it is not having to meet someone else’s expectations. I still have expectations to meet but I trust myself. I no longer have to trust myself, and convince someone to trust me. The freedom to set my own schedule and make my own decisions helps reduce stress. If I am stuck on something, I can take some time off guilt free, whether it is a long lunch or calling it a day at 2 pm.

In life we sometimes drop the wrong balls. It’s life. We can’t juggle all of the balls all of the time and we are bound to drop a ball or two. I dropped so many balls in order to keep my “job” ball in the air and honestly there are more times that it wasn’t worth it than it was. This is based on my personal journey. I have worked myself to the brink of a burnout twice in two different positions. I used to think that that hyper busy vibe was necessary for success and growth but I realize now it wasn’t.

Balance is necessary in all aspects of our lives. When we focus and prioritize one thing too much, other areas of our lives suffer. I don’t have it figured it out. But I am more conscious now about my planning. I have always been a planner and I felt when I started that I had it all figured out. But I have changed planners and planning styles enough now to know that I don’t. I usually reflect on how a system is working every few weeks. It allows me to stay on top of things but also not feel overwhelmed. What worked last month may not work this month.

Making a conscious decision to not only hold yourself accountable but also to review the systems you have put in place to assist you is crucial. If something is not working, don’t beat yourself up. Make note of what is working and try something else. Don’t change the goal, change the way you get to the goal. If you are unwilling to adjust, you may stay stuck in a place where you were meant to grow.