We are halfway through the year. If you are like me, this is hard to believe. Time is both slow and fast, and the seasons have been out of the ordinary for quite a while. Many of us probably sat down in January and wrote out all of our well-intentioned efforts to make this year the year that we wanted it to be. How’s it going?
All is not lost! The second half of the year can be just as impactful as the first. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with a lack of progress or feeling guilt over “failing” to hit your goals, let’s use this 6-month mark as an opportunity. Check-in, re-evaluate and establish a self-proclaimed fresh start.
Remember Your Vision
Take a minute to just try to remember what exactly you were hoping for the year. Maybe you journaled or wrote a list of goals somewhere that could help you. Sometimes the tyranny of the urgent takes over and what’s most important to us gets lost in the hustle and bustle. Remembering what you’re aiming for is a big part of the battle to get back on track.
Re-Assess Your Values
Once you’ve recalled your goals for the year, re-assess where you’re at. Is this still what’s important to you? It makes sense if your world looks different than you anticipated it would at this point. And maybe what was important to you on January 1 is not actually the highest priority today. That’s okay. Your goals are here to serve you- not enslave you. If it’s not a priority anymore, then set it aside for now.
Consider What’s Achievable
At this point in the year you probably have a better idea of your rhythms and plans for the next 6 months. While January was bright eyed and bushy tailed, June can be a little more realistic. What is feasible for you to accomplish this year? You can keep the same goal but adjust your means of getting there. Or you can tweak your goals to align better with what’s actually possible. Being realistic about what you can do will set you up for success mentally as well as help you actual get where you want to go!
Let Yourself Be Disappointed
I don’t know what the year has held for you. This year might have held experiences you never saw coming. It’s okay to give yourself time to be disappointed and sad over things not being as they should be. Give yourself the space and grace you need to process the fact that things have happened that made this first half of the year different than what you would have hoped.
Schedule a Check-In
Set a time to go through this same process again over the next 6 months. Maybe mark the calendar for a once-a-month evaluation for yourself or ask a friend to just ask you about how your goals are going. If the first 6 months have taught us anything, it’s that leaving our goals unattended doesn’t help much with progress.
Enjoy Your Year
Ultimately, the point of all of this is just to enhance your life. While it’s good not to trade your bigger vision for temporary comforts, this process shouldn’t be completely unenjoyable. Make your goals work for you and enjoy the last half of 2021!
If the year is not going as you’d like it to go and you’d like some help along the way, counseling could be a good option. Together we can explore your values, find out what’s not working for you, and explore ways to get where you want to be. Schedule an appointment by calling us at (225) 341-4147.
