Am I on track or have I derailed is the question I’m asking myself as I do my midyear check-in of where I am with the intentions I set for this year. Yep, it’s time to take a look at those things I said I wanted to change, cease, add, or explore and ascertain whether or not I was serious. I have to decide whether to stay the course, pivot, or let it go.
The Power of the WHY
To kickstart my thinking, I ask the question, Is my WHY still relevant? For what reason or purpose did I choose this intention? We’re used to writing goals that say something like, I will __________ in ____ months or By the time I’m _____ I will have _____. But Allison Walsh @allisonwalshconsulting gives this example where the emphasis is placed on the WHY.
“I want to build a profitable business so I can retire early and spend time doing things I love.”
The WHY is POWERFUL! It’s the WHY that…
motivates me and fuels my drive.
influences and encourages my exploration of opportunities and possibilities.
persuades me to focus on what is important.
is convincing enough to keep me committed during hard times.
helps me say no when necessary and yes when needed.
Derailing tends to be easy when your WHY is not strong enough or becomes no longer relevant. So, first things first, revisit your WHY.
What are you doing?
The next thing I do is critique my behavior patterns because they also contribute to my lack of progress.
Story….
A friend of mine goes to a particular store every week around the same time of day. The interstate traffic during that time is always bumper to bumper. My friend’s habit was sitting in traffic unnecessarily because of the mindset that taking the interstate was faster. On one occasion I asked, why don’t you change lanes and take the next exit? But the question I should have asked was, how is this habit serving you?
In assessing my progress here are some behavioral questions I ask.
Are there habits or patterns of behavior that I need to abandon because they do not serve me well and are hindering my growth?
Am I learning to pivot without becoming overly stressed and embracing outside-the-box thinking?
Have I gotten my priorities out of order?
Am I consistent in establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries?
How am I managing worry energy?
Am I availing myself of the necessary resources?
Am I implementing good strategies or flying by the seat of my pants?
Do I make a practice of imagining the best-case scenario or the worst?
Am I open to being shown a different way to get where I’m going?
Is what I am doing each day getting me closer to where I want to be tomorrow?
Am I living my life out of intention or out of a hit-or-miss “whatever will be, will be ”mindset?
Sometimes we may benefit from resources to help us stay on track. When my children were growing up we had family meetings once a month where everyone shared their goals and received feedback. I have an accountability partner with whom I discuss my writing intentions. Think about possible resources that you might benefit from to help you continue to progress toward your goals.
Okay, there are six more months left and we can still accomplish a lot! Get busy!
Always encouraging reflection,
WandaP
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