Look Back To Go Forward

Welcome to Hot Girl Breakthrough, where I provide actionable ideas and curated insights to help you do you, but better.

Today’s Breakdown

Framework: The “Reflect, Assess, Adjust” Check-In

Be honest, when was the last time you checked in with yourself? I don’t mean a simple “hey cutie, how are you doing?”, I mean spending quality time to reflect on your current circumstances and how that’s affecting the progress for future you.

I’m a firm believer that in order to get started on something new, be it personally or professionally, you first need to look back. So when I came across the framework below last weekend, I made a few tweaks and did it immediately.

I got clarity and also had a little cry. I could blame hormones or whatever planet is in retrograde but deep down I know it’s because I was not only forced to check-in but also check myself. To note, I did mine with a focus on my personal life.

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience" is a quote by American philosopher John Dewy and while I don’t wholeheartedly agree, acknowledging the importance of reflecting on your own current situation, often makes taking the first step towards something new that bit easier.

The personal review should take about an hour. You will focus on your “most important thing”*. Do it on pen and paper. When you’ve finished, schedule your next check-in for the end of June.

*NB. This technically is a “goal” but I’m sick of that word and the way it’s typically tied to productivity with a capitalistic outlook. Your “most important thing” might be career-led or increasing profitability in your business but it might also be starting something with the sole purpose of making your life more exciting. Your thing isn’t less-than if it isn’t tied to making money. It can be something that makes you happy.

• Reflect: 2 questions to look back on the previous quarter

• Assess: 3 questions to assess where you’re going

• Adjust: 5 questions to make any necessary changes.

REFLECT

Review life from the last quarter. The easiest place to start is with your calendar - look at every meeting, call, engagement and jot down whether it created or drained your energy.

Note - this could be people, projects, activities, events, your environment, relationships etc. Also, think about your emotional health - this helped me, your spacial environment and finances.

The goal:

Spend more time on energy CREATORS and less on energy DRAINERS in the next three months.

ASSESS

Look at where you’re going with 3 simple questions

Your “most important thing” is relative to you! It doesn’t have to be work-related. You may have one for each area of your life (work, personal, fitness, relationship etc.)

Are your current daily habits energising you and building momentum to help you achieve your most important thing? If you didn’t change anything, would you achieve the thing? If you’re not happy with the outcome, you need to revamp.

Review the quality of your attitude, environment, behaviours and relationships. Are there elements that are unnecessarily slowing down your progress? This is the hardest question because you have to get real.

ADJUST

Get clear on where you need to make changes

My work-related biggest energy-creators were creative work, calls with inspiring brands and future-planning brainstorms. The energy-draining things I can’t get rid of (catch-up calls, admin) I try to batch together in time blocks because I know that code-switching between tasks is very energy expensive for me.

Post-breakdown, I’ve been able to identify that unexpressed emotion is hugely detrimental to my energy supply. Sounds obvious, but I truly didn’t realise. Finding an outlet for said repressed emotion has helped me exponentially.

Spend time this long weekend doing this task. Even better, do it now and then have a mini egg or hot cross bun to celebrate.

Article of Life Hacks I Loved

Lifehacks

Quick and quite good, with statements that will get you thinking - worth a read!

A few favourites:

• if there’s something on your mind, write it down & get it out. maintain full attention on what you’re doing.

• send cold emails. assume that everyone is a friend.

• be sus if you’re not asking dumb questions

• if you want people you don’t like to like you you won’t like yourself

Breakthroughs

🎶 I’ll be blasting Yazmin Lacey’s new album all Easter weekend. Her voice is like a hug for your soul and the lyrics on this album have come from things she journaled on her phone.

📱 Glorious Broads is my absolute favourite TikTok account right now. Discussing everything from sex to work, in a world obsessed with staying young, hearing from brilliant women who are more down the path of life than me is equal parts inspiring and eye-opening.

@gloriousbroads

Hard won lessons from Yamuna Zake - master physical therapist - “You don’t have to do it ALL!” #broadhunting #broads #thisis... See more

🛍️ My current favourite bag. I’ve already got the The Row dupe from Cos in red but I’m tempted by the brown. The metallic blue is also lowkey very cute!

See you next week!

Rhea x

PS. Thoughts, feedback or just wanna say hi? Email me here