Sustainable Business Growth – Why Slowing Down Can Be Your Fastest Path To Growth
I recently went to a high school reunion in my hometown of Lismore. It had been decades since I'd seen some of these faces, but as soon as I walked in, the memories came flooding back. Horse riding and playing with dogs in the backyard of my best friend’s house. Going to Blockbuster on a Friday night and renting R-rated horror movies that her mother let us watch.
Each person I spoke to had a memory or reflection of our school years to share. And these led to so much laughter and joy – it was like we’d never had to grow up.
But alongside the joy, there was also some sadness. Some classmates had lost everything in the recent floods. People had lost loved ones over the years or struggled with illnesses. One mate, who used to be the class clown, is now the full-time carer for his teenage nephew since his sister passed away. These stories hit hard. And because of that, the weekend was filled with mixed emotions – happiness and joy, yes, but also grief, nostalgia and deep reflection.
On the way home I started thinking about all the memories we’d shared during the night. And it reminded me how important it is to stop and take stock. Not just of the past, but of where we are right now, in all areas of our lives. Because taking the time to reflect and think about how things have changed and evolved isn’t a luxury – it’s a strategy. And this matters in our practice too.
Reflection isn’t a luxury – it’s a strategy
As thought leaders, consultants and experts, we’re often focused on delivering, doing the work and driving results. But if we never take time to pause and reflect, we miss the insights that allow us to do our best work.
The truth is that reflection is the key to insight, creativity and sustainable business growth. John Maxwell put it perfectly when he said, ‘Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.’
In my own practice, I’ve seen this play out again and again. When I was early in my business journey, I remember sitting in front of my mentor, utterly overwhelmed. I was fully booked, delivering non-stop and juggling too many balls. He told me, ‘You need to meditate.’ And honestly, my first thought was, Are you kidding me? I don’t have time to breathe, let alone meditate!
But what he was really trying to convey is that I needed to create space to reflect. And as thought leaders, we always need time to reflect. If we’re not reflecting back on what we’re delivering, what we’re doing and how the clients took it, then we’re going to lose momentum. We’re always going to be stuck in reaction mode.
Growth only comes when we make space for it. When your practice starts to break through your positioning barrier, that’s when you get the breakthrough. We’re not trying to keep ourselves so full. Where we actually get the growth is from the reflective practice.
The most successful leaders aren’t the busiest ones
In a recent workshop, some of my clients – who run seven-figure practices – told me they don’t want to ‘do more’. They’re already working hard (in many cases, too hard). Now they want relevance, impact and sustainability, and they understand that space to think is space to grow.
Reflective practice is how they stay sharp. It’s how they innovate. It’s how they deliver their highest value work. The most successful leaders aren’t the busiest ones. Being busy is allowing others to control your time. But reflection allows you to be intentional and puts you back in the driver’s seat. And research shows that our brains need periods of incubation to be creative.
If you’re aiming for sustainable business growth, you can’t afford to operate on autopilot. You need time to pause, reflect and realign.
So, how do you build reflective practice into your life?
When you’re building in reflection as part of your practice, consider what daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual routines you should be implementing. Here are some simple ways to get started (no meditation cushion required):
Daily
Could you take a 15-minute walk without your phone? Moving your body is a great way to let your mind wander. It’s surprising what comes up when you stop scrolling and start thinking.
Weekly
Start by protecting your weekends – vigorously if necessary. Even if you love your work, space away from it creates perspective, and increases your wellbeing too (and this makes you better at your work in the long term!).
Quarterly
Every quarter, block out a client-free week. Use that time to journal, plan, write or even just rest. Ask yourself questions like, How did the last quarter go? Am I happy with it? What was my biggest challenge? What would I do differently? What’s my focus for the quarter ahead? What do I want to be working on?
Annually
Take a holiday and do so religiously. But beyond the holiday, use the end of the year to ask: What did I learn? What would I do differently? What does the next year hold for me?
Regular debriefs
Whenever you take on a specific activity – such as speaking at a conference or putting on an event – do a reflective practice after the session. I always do this, often straight after in my car before I drive off. I ask myself, If I was to change one slide in this presentation what would it be? One section? One way of delivering?
My goal is to find a way to improve it for next time. This is the continuous improvement mindset.
Remember to document any decisions you make so it can go into your process and systems. This means that your new and improved approach will be properly integrated going forward.
Final thought
As your practice grows, your time becomes more valuable – not just to others, but to yourself. Don’t wait for burnout to force you into rest. Build in the space to pause. The space to think. And the space to reflect. Because it’s in those quiet moments that the best ideas often appear.
You don’t need more hustle. You need more insight. And insight starts with reflection. That’s the key to sustainable business growth.
