Maybe on July 1st you’re not entirely focused on those New Year’s Resolutions from way back when as much as the summer tan you’re about to get. But we have arrived, whether we like it or not, to the second half of the year. Welcome! Rather than let memories of those pesky New Year’s Resolutions that you were so optimistic about, that you diligently game-planned out and then completely forgot about cramp your summer style, why not reboot and re-energize some big goals to carry you through the end of the year? Now is the perfect time for a bi-annual mental reset. The summer slow-down is a great opportunity to catch your breath (or a wave), change your scenery and clear the mental cobwebs. A chance to create a compelling vision for the next 6 months, make fun-to-accomplish goals, and design a game-plan worth sticking to.
Why Are We Here?
So why didn’t those Resolutions stick in the first place? Well, we all have our reasons from work responsibilities, family obligations, necessary binge-watching. Squirrel! Ok, so it’s very easy to get distracted and thrown off track. We clearly live in a world set up to pull us in a million different directions, which can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time, but is entirely unhelpful when you’re trying to tackle any big goal or lifestyle change.
First things first.
Your goal needs to be a good one. A really good one. Not a goal that you just “should” do, but one that you “must” do. Something so compelling, exciting, energizing and inspiring that it naturally floats to the top of your priority list and pulls you into action. In order to get to a place where your goal feels like that, ask yourself these questions: What is absolutely everything I will gain once I achieve this goal? What is everything I will lose out on if I don’t achieve it? Getting clear on the consequences of your actions or inaction can help you get leverage to get going and stay on track.
Book Yourself
Now that you have a goal in mind that you are so passionate about achieving that nothing and no one will stop or distract you (I see you, News Feed), you need to create a game plan. This is the nitty-gritty. Sitting yourself down (but it’s summer break, ma!) and creating a list of small tasks that build on each other that will eventually get you where you want to go. And here’s the important part…scheduling those tasks on a realistic timeline. The second half of the year can get pretty intense, right? It starts off feeling like a marathon to get to the end of the year, but ends in a mad-dash panic-sprint as you try to close the year out without too many loose ends. So, knowing that the year gets that way, schedule accordingly! Bust out a calendar and block out true mental breaks from anything “goal-oriented” so you can focus on important year end activities: Halloween costume creation, Tofurkey Day meal prep, holiday everything (booking travel, buying gifts, sending snail mail). Don’t let foreseeable distractions send your goal packing back to the New Year’s Resolution list from whence it came.
Ms. In the Mirror
Find a mirror. Any mirror. See that reflection? That’s you in 6 months. Don’t be scared…just go with it, she won’t bite. Don’t you just admire that fabulous person looking back at you? That person who did the small, but important things consistently, who stayed on track (or better yet, laid new track), who made well-thought out decisions, who listened to her gut, and who cultivated her vision with actions that added up to so much growth and accomplishment? She. Rocks. She clearly had the resourcefulness, the know-how, the guts, and the determination to get where she is now. Do you have any questions for her about how it was she got so far in just 6 short months? The amazing thing is the answers are in there if you’re willing to trust it. I mean, you’ve already come this far in life and your past-self is pretty darned impressed. Know that what you want is wholly within your ability to create.
Ok, now you can return to your present-self with the beautiful knowledge that your future-self totally had this handled, which must mean, by default, that you totally have this handled. Boom.
Unexpected Finish Line
Running. Some people love it and some people won’t touch it with a ten foot pole. I was firmly planted in the later camp, and yet the glory of finishing a race was a goal of mine that I had never gone after in a concrete way. I had even mentioned this goal to my friends as if “talking about it” was the same as “being about it”. That was until a friend of mine asked me to sign up for a Half-Marathon with her. After my initial internal reaction of “Hellzzz no,” my competitive-self surfaced before I could check her and she blurted out, “Sure, let’s do it!” It felt a bit like I was water-skiiing behind a dolphin being pulled out to sea and there was no turning back. It was scary as hell, but I was excited to be on the ride. I got a clear mental image of what it wouId both look like and feel like to cross the finish line, got the necessary equipment, Googled running tips, and since I knew the day of the race I was able to schedule in my runs and build upon them to get me across that finish line in one (exhausted, sweaty, badass) piece. And I did it! I have my shiny medal and my bragging rights (which I am using here, in writing, because dangit, I ran a friggin’ Half-Marathon!), and I’m a better person for it who, wait for it…runs for fun and exercise regularly now. What?!
Bottom Line
Listen, creating goals can be both fun and daunting as you dream about crossing the finish line but anticipate the mile markers. Past disappointments and unchecked items on Resolution Lists can sometimes sap our inspiration and drive to continue. But bottom line…it’s worth it to try. And now is the perfect time to start.