If you’ve been reading for even just a little time, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of stopping, and pausing to reflect before marching on. It’s because I was not good at this step that I feel like it’s so useful. If you’re thinking “oh, this reflection business is not for me” it’s probably then going to be a very valuable exercise, especially for you.
As we have just finished the half-year, let’s pause and reflect on the first six months of the year. Here are my 5 steps (I change these all the time and if I gave a talk, I’d probably change it again ;)) which I have positioned as questions:
1. Where do I need to give myself grace?
- Many of us set out at the end of 2022/ beginning of 2023 with a brand new set of goals and intentions that seemed easy at the time because we were hyped up on New Year Energy. I am the same as you! I conveniently forgot that I’m not an outside person and told myself I could go outside almost daily for 23 minutes in 2023. Here’s where I let that notion go.
- Do you need to give yourself grace and let some things go? Books, TV shows, projects (work or personal)?
2. What is working? What am I happy with?
- This is the fun part so go wild.
- Did you get some work projects done? Did you get personal projects done? Did you rest well? Did you watch some good TV? Is your reading in a good place? (I have watched some good TV – On the verge, The Bold Type, Working Moms, Wellmania, etc.)
- Are you rocking your relationships? (I am rocking my in-person relationships… probably because I’m tired of online everything!)
- Have you finally adjusted to a new work from office rhythm? (more on this in a blog post but finally, after 5 months in a 3-days-a-week schedule, I can say yes)
- Have you finally reduced your addiction to the tiny computer in your hand?
- Are you in a good exercise/ movement routine?
3. What do I still need to do?
- When you review your list (or make a new list), what is still calling to you to do for this year?
- How is your health? No joke – I have 5 health appointments to make this month and two that must happen – the pharmacist told me she is only issuing my meds as an “emergency” so I’ve got to go get a repeat script from my doctor in the next 3 weeks. Alrighty then.
- Do you have some house projects you want to take care of?
- Do you have some fun things you want to plan to look forward to?
4. What do I want to change?
- When you consider the last 6 months, what are you not happy about?
- What needs to change? Is it something you need to speak up about? Schedule the time to do so.
5. What are my in-progress projects?
- What have you started, made some progress towards but you need to finish it off? Personal projects, work projects, finance projects (I met with my financial adviser in May and she gave me 3 actions – I have done none but I told her I would only action in July or August), health projects?
- If you have nothing, great! I put this question because many of my projects don’t always start and finish in the same month, as neat as that would be.
If you need some inspiration and guidance to get going, I am here to give you a loving kick in the pants to get you moving again, but you have to take the first step.
Other half-year review posts on the blog
- From 2019 – I like this one’s questions
- 2021 – this one is like a mini tutorial and you should “favourite” it somewhere
- the 2022 version
(no surprise to anyone – I didn’t do one in 2020!)
