Let me start with this: I know this is a hot take. I know not everyone is going to agree with me. But someone has to say it and it might as well be someone who has spent time navigating corporate life, observing everything from {read more}
Welcome back to my blog everyone, and happy autumn season here in the northern hemisphere. As baseball season is transitioning from its regular season into playoffs; I thought this was the perfect time to highlight how great of a sport it is! And of course, {read more}
For my readers in the United States, Happy Independence Day! For those elsewhere, Happy Monday! To all, welcome to today’s blog. More importantly, welcome to the official second half of 2022. We’ve made it this far. It’s time to assess where we are by doing a half year check-in. Perhaps this year is going swimmingly for you, and perhaps it is time to readjust and get back on the wagon.
If you are interested in my own journey, go to the end of the exercise, where you will find some very open and honest reflections of my own first half 2022.
It is time to go back to your original vision for 2022. Bring to mind your word of the year, and the associated focus areas and goals.
Many things, unexpected or otherwise can happen in 6 months! Does your word still fit you? Has anything drastically changed this year where you need to update your focus areas? Are there parts of your life you neglected to include from the beginning, which you’d like to add in now?
Now that you’ve determined, at a high-level if your word of the year still fits, and if your focus areas are aligned. It is time to go deeper into each area. If you could rank them, what would you say would be the top area, which you feel the best about? And, of course in rank order, all the way to the one that isn’t progressing as well. Once you’ve done this, would you choose to start putting your energy into a different one, or are you happy of what is coming out number one? Do you need to rebalance any of the areas?
Once you have completed your focus area rank order, now it is time to go into your intentions and goals. Perhaps for 2022 you set the intention toward making your body healthier, and the associated goal is to cook at home 4 times a week. Are the goals you’ve set getting you to the intention behind it? Are there goals you need to re-create or start fresh because they just aren’t getting you to where you need to be?
How do you feel about the intentions you originally set? Are they aligning well with you you want to become before the ball drops on midnight January 1, 2023? Are your goals and intentions even realistic?
In 2021, I made a post about daily habit tracking. I am happy to report the habit of habit tracking really serves me well. I hope you’ve at least written down the daily habits you’d like to incorporate into your year, so that you can meet your goals and therefore make progress on your intentions and focus areas. If you aren’t tracking your daily habits because you are scared of all the 0’s that will add up, please adjust your habits to something manageable.
These can be as simple as ‘stay hydrated’, or ‘read for 10 minutes’. The more simple, straight forward and manageable they are, the more likely you will do them.
And, I assure you, if you start the daily habits TODAY of the person you want to become in even 2 months, you WILL feel better about yourself. I talk more about my struggles earlier in the year with this in my personal half year assessment below. I encourage you to start tracking your habits today!
If you already have been tracking your habits – awesome! I hope you can see your 1% improvement in the areas on your tracker, and thus see yourself transforming into the person you wanted to become this year right before your eyes! Give yourself credit!
This word has been a challenge for me. Over the years I had become a shell of myself for many reasons. Mostly, I liked the quieter, less intense version of myself; however I knew there was room for growth. There were areas in my life, especially in my day-job where I had lost sight of my own value. When I selected my word for 2022, I did so thoughtfully and carefully. I didn’t want something ‘easy’. Instead, I wanted to look myself in the eyes and conquer the limiting beliefs I had let take over. Those limiting beliefs specifically surrounded my self-worth, my ability, my intelligence and my experience.
This is hard to admit, and as I edit this post, it is hard to read back. Over the years, I had let these limiting beliefs grow in my mind like a chia pet. Looking back, I see how unhealthy my thoughts were, and worse, how I was operating out of fear and so easily manipulated. It saddens me to this day.
Funny… not funny though, how something new, and empowering can come from so much destruction, self imposed or otherwise. As I was reflecting in December 2021, I knew I had to make big changes in my life. And this is where the selection of the word ‘BOLD’ was born.
The changes I knew I had to make surrounded my inner self-talk. My showing up for myself everyday through self-encouragement, healthy habits, self-discipline and self-appreciation. I knew I had to shine a light into the dark parts of my mind and start pulling out the things I knew were inside me; but hiding out of fear.
If you read my original post about my word of the year, you will know that I added a 5th focus area for 2022, “Relationships”. I did this because 2020 and 2021 were harsh with long periods of isolation, and only the very beginnings of reunions. Not only that, but I wanted to be much more intentional about connecting with people, regardless if I’d be seeing them in person or not. I am so glad I added this, especially because it opened my world up to getting to know people I’d known only in a professional capacity much better. In addition, I intentionally prioritized getting to know people on a deeper level over other things. It, so far, has made my life much richer and more enjoyable.
Let’s go through each focus area with a bit more detail, also I’ve force ranked them, as I’ve instructed you to do in the steps above.
Below is the list of my intentions for 2022. While I am hitting on all of these, I’d say some of them are shaping up to be different than originally intended. For example, ‘learning new things’. This year I learned ballroom dance, but I also learned a lot about balancing the known and unknown and making a leap. So, the original meanings may have shifted or now include something more, but still my intentions are very much in line. At the end of this year, I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and be happy with the life I lived from January to December 2022.
My daily habits are so important to me. In January because of being ill, there were many 0’s instead of check marks because I simply wasn’t making progress on hobbies or working out. I did not let this discourage me, but I was honest in my tracker. Knowing I’d be here now looking back at the other moments and see progress was made! This goes to one of my intentions to give myself grace. As February came and went and travel starting picking back up again, my daily habits became even more important.
The one’s I consistently include month to month are typically:
Affirmations are such a great way to get on track and start out your day. They can directly help with self-encouragement and replacing any negative thoughts or limiting beliefs with better thoughts. On my YouTube channel, I have posted a few affirmation tracks, along with meditations which can help in this area.
June’s Addition of Affirmations, centered around the summer season in the northern hemisphere. This affirmation track evokes the feelings of the end of the school year, firefly sightings, the warm breeze. Evenings around a fire. And other summery scenes which allow us to enjoy the season!
Look at us, nearing the end of the year. How fast or slow did this year go for you? I can hardly believe it is coming to and end. It has been awhile since I’ve done a goal check-in. Since we’ve still got 8 weeks left, I figured I would do this for myself. But also, to encourage you all to look back over your 2021 goals. Determine what you’ve made progress on, what fell off the priority list and what you’d like to continue doing in 2022.
Before the new year starts I will be posting a 2022 planning. However, for now this is meant to be a reflection on goals for 2021 and an 8 week chance to finish anything!
That being said, let’s go back to my original goal setting for 2021. As you may remember, I used a vision board to put mine on display! The goals I set out to complete for 2021 were as follows:
Wow! My initial response to this was to giggle. I have the tendency to laugh at my previous self whenever I go back and look at these blog posts or old journal entries. Not only did I want to laugh, but I am happy to report I’ve completed my list except for one item.
Starting with what I haven’t accomplished yet. The one item I didn’t complete is taking another photography class. I ended up not taking any photo classes this year. However, I took online classes related to my profession and expanding my career. One of them was in creative thinking and innovation. I do feel as though I got a lot out of these classes, so whilst it wasn’t related to my hobbies, I did take a few classes. That being said, I still have 8 weeks and time to sign up for a class, so maybe that is what I will do!
On to what I have accomplished. I am happy to report that so many of these items I have completed!
Throughout the year I made adjustments and updated everyone about once a quarter, you can find those posts here:
First month review. Where I included a line item for unplanned fun that added to my overall month! Another great post was on the habit tracker I purchased. I’ve been using it ever since and really enjoy it!
In June, I did a goal check-in and talked about intention setting. Half way through the year sometimes things get lost in the mix or I go on auto-pilot and forget about what I set out to accomplish. This post was a good reason to remind myself! Not to mention it was a few weeks after my Mohs surgery was performed. One day I will go into greater detail on how this affected my mental health…
Once you have completed your own review, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments down below. Let me know how it is going and what you are thinking of changing up for 2022!
You asked for it! So here it is. Below is a typical ‘day in the life’ of me 🙂 Most days I try and mix things up, but the activities contained in my day are usually the same. The theme of the pandemic and being {read more}
Welcome back fam! I’m going to get straight to the point: for the longest time I forced myself to be someone I wasn’t. Instead of embracing the delicate, soft parts of myself; I showed the world only my thorns. Randomly finding this little quiz on {read more}
The last post was all about deciding on the destination. Whether it be a new goal, or you still have your over-arching dream life in mind. Once you have determined your destination, it becomes important to keep your eyes and mind focused. Keeping focus on your destination will allow for measured progress and the elimination of any distractions.
Before we jump into why being clear on your destination and keeping it in your focus is so important. Let’s briefly discuss the tools which can help with this! One way, which we’ve discussed on this blog is creating a vision board. Another way is to create your playlist. Select songs which motivate you, remind you of your goals and be that little twinkle when heard out of context! Some people will put post-it’s on their mirrors or write their goals down and read it morning, noon and night. Others keep a digital list as the background of their phone. And other I know of, simply remind themselves mentally. If you have any tips or advice in this area, please do add it to the comments below!
No matter the way you decide to keep your goals top of mind, the importance of doing so is well proven. The more energy and focus you put on what you want, the more discipline you will have in staying on track. And, potentially the more exciting it is when you see progress. Keeping your chin up, hands at 10 and 2, eyes on the horizon are all physical ways to keep distractions from veering you off course. Establishing and maintaining this clear vision of your destination will keep your mind and spirit on the same page:
“…the clearer you become about your destination and the more you can connect with it head, heart and gut; the more likely it is that you will achieve it.”
Brian Gorman
Do not allow yourself to get distracted or tossed in the wind by fleeting whims. Instant gratification, or ‘magical’ remedies rarely, if ever actually work. Not to mention how far off track a cheat meal actually gets us! This is most likely evident to those reading this blog which is geared toward self improvement and long term success. However, too often will our human minds trade in our long term success for something in the moment. And then one moment becomes 2 and 2 becomes 4 and down the rabbit hole we find ourselves!
Just think of a time when you purchased something way over budget and regretted it almost immediately. Or perhaps a time when you knew another chapter of reading would improve your chances on a test. But instead, you opted to play games on your phone. In these instances, the feeling of desire typically doesn’t last beyond the attainment. Therefore, it leaves us feeling behind on our goal. Diane Koopman gives even more reason not to become distracted by ‘shiny objects’ in this post on Instant Gratification.
Note to self: short term pleasure is not worth trading my long term success!
With the last paragraph behind us, it is important to note that balance is key to finding long term success. Healthy and mindful stress-release, along with finding flow outside of your main goals is extremely important. This concept also points to the fact that typically, your long term goal may seem simple but has many facets. Meaning, you may have a goal in sight, which also leads to other achievements and a well-rounded life.
As an example, let’s say your main goal in life is to become the CEO of a company. This comes with: responsibility, power, prestige, travel, social circles, wealth. And many other attributes which you are also most likely wanting in addition to the title of ‘CEO’. Another example, outside of the business world, could be becoming a mother. In this example, the desire most likely is not just to have a baby. But also, to nurture your child, become a parent. Not to mention, building a legacy. All that, while also experiencing playtime, exploring and seeing the world through a child’s eyes!
Because most of our long-term dreams include the surrounding aspects, keeping the balance on the journey is equally important. Finding flow in a hobby and developing healthy habits will help to keep you on track. While also, paving the way for the future goal to come into fruition. That way, once you are CEO of a company AND a mother; you’ll be able to continue the balance between your career, your family and your own personal self care.
When facing any discouragement, it will become evermore important to keep going. Surely, you’ve watched friends give up just before there could have been a major breakthrough. Or someone stops short because they simply haven’t seen the income they’d hoped for. These are the times when your personal clarity and ‘why’ behind your goal is SO important. Remember, the final destination is more than just a dot on a map.
Most of the time, our reasoning behind our stated destination is so much more than just getting there. Instead, it is about building the character, gaining the skills or having the experience. Yes, at times, we just want (or maybe need) money to start flowing in, but usually our true desires are more than financial. Even in our careers, yes our paychecks might be in the top 2 reasons we do our jobs, but the fulfillment we get out of it should be prioritized as well.
As you move down the path toward success, you are sure to see some unexpected setbacks. Alongside bursts of progress. As this occurs, it will require you to stay clear on your destination. So that, you can make any small adjustments to stay on track. Staying clear on your destination allows you to see when progress is being made. In addition to when things are starting to go off track. Without clarity on where you are going, it would be much more difficult to know whether the decision to turn left or right even matter. Even if you do not have an exact map (perhaps because you are in unchartered territory); your intuition will most likely kick-in to let you know.
When we face these setbacks and discouragements, it should be a sign to make an adjustment; however we should never simply give up. If something is truly a passion, our inner selves will take over and give us the extra push and tenacity we need. Sometimes a break is necessary to re-gain clarity, but at the end of the day it is so important we keep going.
If you are at a point where you’ve got the clarity on your end destination and you’ve already made adjustments but just can’t seem to find the courage to put yourself out there. This post on having the courage to create might be for you!
In the business world, we track and measure our progress through KPI’s (key performance indicators). KPI’s are an indicator on the current status and health of the topic. KPI’s are similar to the warning lights in your car. In order to know which KPI’s apply to the specific situation or changes we are making, it is imperative to be extremely clear about the end goal.
Examples of these measurements in our day to day lives might be things like:
While a friend of mine was trying to loose weight, she used her iPhone watch to track activities and food. In addition, she weighed herself everyday and took the AVERAGE weight week by week to track progress. This helped to keep things in perspective as well as give a more accurate picture of the trend over time. Not to mention, weighing everyday was more motivation to eat properly and stay active!
In the past, I was the type of person who, until the goal was met, I would not allow myself to celebrate. In addition, I wanted to reach my end goal as fast as possible. This mentality got me through a 5 year college program in 3 years, something I am proud of. Looking back, I wished I had let myself *feel* the success of each assignment. Or at the very least each course with a score of 4.0.
Not only would I push myself to do my best and go as fast as possible. As soon as an achievement was complete, I was on to the next thing. Sadly, accomplishments came and went. Instead of celebrating, I would put pressure on myself to do better, go faster and improve for the next time. (Quick side note: while I was doing this I had no idea how it felt to an outsider looking in. Most of the people who are labeled as type-a or overachievers are, in no way shape or form, comparing themselves to anyone but themselves! I say this because all too often someone would think I was trying to out-show someone else and this just isn’t the case).
Never really been known as a ‘fun’ person, I want to add a key component to celebration. Celebration does not have to be traditional in any sense. If you are similar in disposition to me, shaking a bottle of champagne or pouring the ice water over someone isn’t your thing. Instead, for me celebration is quiet, an inner feeling that I really don’t even need another to witness.
All that being said, learning to celebrate and feel accomplishment in your own way is important. Recognizing your own unique talents and personality treats which have gotten you to your destination is something to celebrate! Figure out what feels right to you and give yourself the moment to feel good about your accomplishments. The celebration can be as simple as: letting out that sigh of relief. Especially, after you do something you never thought you’d be able to do!
In the comments, it would be great to hear how you enjoy celebrating. And adding in the last thing you HAVE celebrated!
Throughout the journey toward your destination, there will most likely be moments of worry, or doubt. Previous posts have addressed this from different angles. One post on self-doubt, which at the time I was feeling heavily. And another which provides some encouragement to keep going. {read more}
