4 Ways to Stay Grounded as Your Own Boss
Admittedly, it isn’t easy to stay green and grounded as a self-starter. You spend so much of the day hustling — balancing multiple clients, Zoom calls, and administrative work — that it can be hard to take a step back and admire everything you’ve built. However, I think it’s important to show gratitude to your clients, your business, and (most important) yourself.
Being your own boss is a challenging, but magical thing. We should all feel fortunate to be in the driver’s seats of our careers. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m sharing the ways I (try to!) stay green and grounded. Make no mistake, I’m not a gratitude expert. But, I hope my practices below will help you realize just how much you have to be thankful for.
Thank U, Next
As self-starters, we are not entitled to anything. It’s never lost on me that there are a lot of people who do what I do. My editors have a limited bandwidth and budget — and they are in no way obligated to spend time, energy, or money on my ideas. Sure, being inundated with projects and deadlines is stressful; however, I try to keep it all in perspective. “There are other people who could work on this project,” I tell myself. “So, how lucky am I that the opportunity was given to me?”
And, whenever I get an approved pitch or new assignment, I always make sure to thank my editors for the opportunity — and then work hard to deliver. Mistakes happen, but I firmly believe that a gracious, can-do attitude goes a long way.
Write it Down
Let’s be honest: 2020 has tested even the most gracious self-starter. It can be hard to continuously look at the glass half-full when you’re working from your dining room table, connecting over Zoom, and exclusively wearing leggings for what seems like an eternity. That’s why I consciously take a few moments each Monday morning to write down three goals and three things I’m grateful for. (Thanks for the tip, Cupcakes & Cashmere!)
Even during your toughest weeks, you always have (at least) three things to be grateful for: Your ambition, your community, the air in your lungs…must I go on? It’s a small task, but jotting it down can give you some perspective.
Netflix and Chill
If my penchant for GIFs is any indication, I’m a big pop culture fan. I love watching movies and television shows. (Psst…have any suggestions for what my boyfriend and I should watch over Thanksgiving weekend? Let me know!) Whenever I feel a little jaded, I love to watch heartfelt programs about people climbing the corporate ladder on their own terms. Working Girl is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I’m loving Emily in Paris on Netflix.
While I’d like to think I’m a self-motivated person, it’s inspiring to see these success stories play out on my screen. It makes me remember how lucky I am to be living my dream — and encourages me to work even harder. Of course, movies and TV shows aren’t the only ways to get inspired: Podcasts, books, and streaming TED Talks on YouTube can have the same, gracious results.
Take a Walk Down Memory Lane
One of my favorite gratitude practices comes from Ann Shoket: Author, thought-leader, former editor-in-chief of Seventeen, and a woman I feel so lucky to have worked with over the past few years. In her book, The Big Life, Ann asks readers to think back to their 16-year-old selves. What did you want to be when you grew up? How did you want to make your mark on the world? While Ann writes about this exercise to help her readers discover their callings, I use it to remind myself of how far I’ve come.
I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I knew how to write — and I’ve worked hard to make that dream a reality. In college, I wrote for national and campus-based publications, started my own fashion blog, balanced a total of 10 internships, and graduated a semester early to get a head-start on the job hunt. I didn’t do all of this for my health; I did it because I wanted to work in media so badly. I often wonder what 16-year-old me would think of my career. Since freelancing wasn’t a thing back then, I always thought I’d work full-time at a glossy magazine. But, if younger me knew about the power of becoming your own boss? Well, I think she’d be pretty proud.
Think about what younger you would do if they met current you. (And, not in an eery way a la Looper.) It doesn’t matter if you’ve been running your business for years or just found your calling, one thing’s for sure: Younger you would be blown away.
Wishing you and your families a safe, healthy, and oh-so-delicious Thanksgiving.
Hustler of the Week: Tamara Melton
From running Diversify Dietetics, to working as a registered dietitian, to helping other RDs use storytelling in their hustles, you wear a lot of hats! How do you balance it all?
I’m all about prioritizing and time blocking! I take time every year, quarter, month, week, and day to prioritize my goals and try to make sure I stick with that. Having those priorities in place help me to say “no” to anything that doesn’t support my goals.
What’s your favorite thing about being your own boss? Least favorite?
My favorite part is the freedom to work on projects that bring me joy, with clients that I love. My least favorite task is having to do things like payroll or taxes, so my husband often does those for me!
What is the best lesson you’ve learned since becoming your own boss?
How important it is to surround yourself with people who will challenge you to up your game and show up as the best version of yourself.
Give Tamara some love by following her, her consulting business, and Diversify Dietetics on Instagram.
