Thoughts in the Rearview Mirror: Reflecting on Phase One
It’s been eight weeks. Eight weeks of immersing myself in writing, planning, creating, connecting, reading, organizing, building, blogging, and budgeting. The first phase of Praxis has been an enriching experience, teaching me several valuable lessons. I’ve come to appreciate the process of exploring my interests, designing my website, refining my video skills, reading insightful books, structuring my time, building positive habits, and much more. As I reflect on these weeks, I realize that this journey is not just about acquiring skills, but also about personal growth and a deeper understanding of my potential.
Creating Reflections
During the first phase of Praxis, I was offered the opportunity to create several different projects. Some of my personal highlights include my website, my Substack platform for my newsletters, my collection of blog posts, my business skill project, and my comprehensive case study on Jenna Kutcher.
My website. The development of my website was a challenging process. There were several choices of website builders available, but I was on the hunt for a budget-friendly option. I settled with WordPress, unaware of the intricacies that I would soon encounter. The early stages of setting up my website were overwhelming. Learning the complexity of WordPress, navigating through the various themes, and configuring the many features left me feeling a bit lost. Through a little sweat and tears, I persevered and began to overcome the obstacles. Despite my initial frustrations, I found a sense of accomplishment as I progressed. My dedication and investment of both time and effort were reflected in the end. Although my website may not be exactly what I had in mind for the end result, it still has become something I truly value.
My Substack platform for my newsletters. I’ve found enjoyment in maintaining my weekly Substack newsletters. The process of crafting these personal newsletters has allowed me to appreciate the joy of writing and reflecting. These newsletters are more than just words on a page; it’s a journey that highlights my Praxis learning, work-related experiences, and the adventures of my daily life. Writing these newsletters has become a creative outlet for me—a place to express my thoughts, experiences, and the knowledge I gain each week. It’s a digital time capsule, a record of my journey, and a diary of my personal growth. These newsletters will forever serve as a treasure chest of memories that I can revisit in the future, allowing me to relive the excitement and experiences of this phase in my life.
Feel free to explore my Substack linked below👇.
My collection of blog posts. This collection was produced during a challenging week. Despite the personal difficulties I faced at that time, I channeled my best efforts and published four well-written blog posts. The process of creating these blog posts tested my writing abilities and provided an opportunity to learn about different writing styles.
My first blog centered on a life lesson—conquering fears. Drawing from my own personal experiences and growth over the past few years, I shared the valuable lessons I learned in overcoming fear.
My second blog post took on the form of a thought piece, exploring the concept of minimalism and its potential benefits in our lives.
For my third blog post, I switched to writing for a company blog, focusing on my current employer, Tribe513.
For my fourth and final blog, I created a sales email, highlighting the product “Viori” and their shampoo and conditioner bars. This piece was inspired by my personal positive experiences with Viori’s products.
My business skill project. This project was an educational experience as it offered me the opportunity to explore a new business tool. I chose Zapier, a powerful automation tool, to streamline the process of collecting data from Google Forms and organizing it in Google Sheets. I designed a patient satisfaction survey for my current employer, Brio Primary Care, to collect feedback from patients regarding their visits to our offices. To demonstrate Zapier’s abilities, I entered random responses into the Google Forms survey. A seamless process began—Zapier efficiently gathered the data collected through Google Forms and flawlessly organized it into Google Sheets. Zapier is now a valuable addition to my skill set.
If you’re interested, check out my blog post about how I used Zapier👇.
My comprehensive case study on Jenna Kutcher. Conducting a case study on Jenna Kutcher offered me the opportunity to dive into the life and career of someone who started from a place very similar to where I currently find myself. Jenna Kutcher’s success began with a small camera she purchased on Craigslist. With the small camera, she built a hobby that led her to become a multifaceted entrepreneur, bestselling author, podcaster, and advocate for body positivity and women in business. What resonates with me the most is Jenna’s remarkable ability to balance her thriving career with her roles as a wife and mother.
Read the full post here👇.
Bookmarked Insights
“Mastery” by Robert Greene.
This book explores the path to becoming a true master in any profession. Greene examines the lives of historical figures who have achieved mastery in their respective fields. He outlines key principles and steps to attain mastery, emphasizing the importance of persistence, apprenticeship, and continuous learning.
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
This is a self-help book that explores the science behind habit formation and offers advice on how to build and maintain positive habits while breaking negative ones. Clear provides a framework for habit change, focusing on four core elements: cue, craving, response, and reward. He also promotes strategies like habit stacking, habit tracking, and the two-minute rule. This book encourages readers to embrace the power of habits to transform their lives for the better.
Treasured Takeaways
Organizing and planning my schedule. I valued the time we invested in understanding how to effectively structure and prioritize different aspects of our lives. Google Calendar allows me to organize my events, appointments, and commitments, while ToDoist allows me to prioritize and arrange important tasks that need to be completed. Time management is an essential skill that enables us to make the most out of our days. By adopting these tools, I can optimize my productivity and devote more time to what truly matters in my life.
Building and breaking habits. I appreciated the time we spent exploring the value of building and breaking habits. These lessons and exercises led me to make a notable achievement in my personal journey—breaking the habit of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and Snapchat. Recognizing the negative impact this habit had on my life, I made the conscious decision to offload both apps from my phone.
The Next Chapter
In the upcoming four months, I plan to immerse myself in an all-round learning experience, focusing on sales, content marketing, content creation, and the world of no-code and AI tools. These choices will provide me with a wide range of skills and experiences that I’m eager to explore.
