Can you believe it? It’s summer!
I don’t know about you, but when summer hits, I simultaneously experience this wave of excitement of, “Whoo hoo! It’s summer!” and, “Oh my dear God! Half the year is gone! How did THAT happen?!?”
If you are feeling the same and wonder where your year has run off to, this is your reminder to take a moment and slow down.
We’re all trained and conditioned to be reflective in December and think about our accomplishments, New Year’s resolutions and intentions. That’s wonderful…but why haven’t we also conditioned ourselves to do that throughout the year?
So my invitation for you is to stop and perform what I like to call a “half-year reset.” This is where you take a moment to check in with yourself and look at:
1. What’s happened thus far in the year, and
2. What do I want to create for myself over the next six months?
Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash
Let’s Look Back
First…don’t panic. At this point in the year, people begin to think, “Oh my gosh! Am I getting everything that I want to get done?” But wait…are you also slowing down to think about what you need to be grateful for and the accomplishments you need to acknowledge?
Let’s take a moment to pause and allow yourself to acknowledge the not-so-small action of living through this first half of the year. Because guess what…we are still in a pandemic and there is still a lot of craziness going on in this world. For you to show up how you are, you are clearly doing some things right!
So, stop. I mean, literally…stop now and write that down! Acknowledge yourself for what you’ve done, for who you are, and what you have to be grateful for: people, circumstances, situations in your life, and the joy of being alive. Once you do that, allow that to sink in and make space to re-evaluate your year. Inevitably, the year just takes off and takes on a life of its own. If we’re not taking the time to have these moments of reflection, it’s so easy for life to continue living us, where it’s in control versus us actually living and creating our life. That’s what I want for you - I want you to take back the reins and be the co-creator of your own life.
Let’s Stretch Forward
The next task after taking the pause to reflect is to think, “Okay, I still have half a year left…what do I want the rest of it to look like? What would I like to accomplish? What do I want to actively create?”
And here’s the key - it’s not just about being in reaction to what’s currently happening. It’s about broadening the imagination and thinking way outside the box. What are one or two AMAZING things that you want to start doing, stop doing, change, or create in your life?
A word of warning, here…this is not the time to create some big list of too much that we can’t even come close to achieving. That’s what happens with the new year’s resolutions, doesn’t it? We get overwhelmed and abandon our plans before January is even done. But what one or two things would be amazing to create in your life?
Don’t just think about…claim that for yourself and actually give yourself time to plan for it and start to take action!
My Big Stretch!
Those of you who follow me know that one of my major bucket list items is to run a triathlon. Truth be told, it was still too intimidating for me to claim it as a goal at the beginning of the year. But I did make a plan to become a stronger swimmer as a baby step, and I did that. It wasn’t until running into a 65-year-old woman in the locker room who was training for the IRONMAN in Kona that I was inspired to take the bold move to commit to fully training for my first triathlon. So I decided to just claim it and started making a plan to get ‘er done!
Even though I claimed it, it was super scary. I knew that triathlon is an endurance race that consists of running, swimming, and biking various distances, but I knew nothing about triathlon training! The preparation, the activities, how it would affect my energy levels, my schedule, my diet…it’s a lot to take on, let me tell you!
As I am now at the half-year mark it’s great to acknowledge the baby steps I’ve taken thus far, and because of those small steps I actually decided to stretch myself and commit to a race slightly longer than what I first thought was even possible for myself! Why? Because nothing is as scary when you break it down into bite-sized pieces, and it’s amazing what you can accomplish for yourself when you just commit, get started, and keep going!
What’s YOUR Big Stretch?
What’s one goal that would be a bit of a stretch for you? What’s that one thing that’s scary to you or would truly make a difference in your life? Whether it’s committing to take a vacation somewhere you’ve never been, making a big change in your body, going for a big opportunity at work, or committing to start the project that you’ve been wanting to do for years.
I really want to encourage you to feel into that one thing that would really move your life forward.
If you are ready to take your life to the next level, forget the scary part of it. Forget that you don’t know how you’re going to do it. You don’t need to worry about that now. What you need to do is claim what you want to achieve for yourself this year. Claim the goal that will stretch you, that will allow you to expand the potential of where else you can go in life.
And don’t fear the stretch, because it is possible. You can build a plan for it, but don’t let the lack of a plan keep you from claiming your goal. All you have to do right now is claim that you want it for yourself, make that commitment to yourself, and trust me, the steps will come.
So here’s to a happy, fun, and restful summer! And here’s to taking some time to do your half-year reset! Remember to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished already, who you are and what you’ve done in the first half of the year. Find gratitude for all the blessings that you already have, and then go back, check in on your big goals and see what feels good to establish for the rest of the year.
Think about what would be beautiful and amazing to stretch yourself to achieve…because it is all possible.
Sending you big love!