It’s hard to believe half a year has passed since half a year ago!
Seriously, though. Time is consistently a very strange phenomenon, which is why it’s so important to take a beat every now and then to check in with yourself. Lots of people do this around the New Year, and that’s a great opportunity as well, but it can only benefit us to do so more often. Halfway through the year feels about right to us.
Plus, mid-June is basically the Wednesday of months – it’s kind of a nice feeling to know you’ve made it to the hump, isn’t it?
That said, it’s incredibly common to feel a bit derailed at this point, like you’re running out of steam, or perhaps like things aren’t happening at the pace you want them to.
THAT’S OK! Promise.
Whether we’re talking professional goals or personal goals, here are some tips and questions to ask yourself to help get you back on track, or at least back in the right headspace to forge onward:
Are your goals reward-based?
If so, it might be time to consider reframing them slightly. Often when goals are motivated by an external reward of some kind (a promotion, recognition, etc) we can end up disappointed.
This is because when we structure our goals around an external factor, we forget to look inward, and once that external goal is met, it just won’t feel as sweet. At which point we’ll just move on to striving for that next shiny thing (or promotion, or recognition… you get the point.) It becomes a feedback loop where we end up constantly disappointed.
Instead, try shifting the focus to personal efforts. You are the only one who can determine your success. Giving yourself this power (and simultaneously taking it away from external sources) is often incredibly rewarding in itself.
Are your goals realistic?
It’s so easy to create grand, lofty goals for ourselves. But more often than not, this is exactly the thing that sets us up for disappointment.
When we’re unrealistic about our goals, and invariably do not end up attaining them in the time we give ourselves, we see this as a “failure” and lose our motivation all together.
Instead, consider setting smaller, more easily attainable goals to cross off your list. There is truly no goal too small. And making sure the timing is realistic for each goal you’ve assigned yourself will set you up for success – The Great Motivator.
Are you afraid of failure?
This is truly one of the most common fears, especially because we end up personalizing setbacks and labelling them as problems with ourselves. But this is not the case!
What if we reframed the idea of failure entirely, and defined it as “actually kind of a good thing”?
As the saying goes, there is no growth without failure! Failure teaches us about ourselves. And sometimes the thing it teaches us is that we need to adjust our goals. That’s fine. If we demystify the idea of failure as a bad thing and instead look at it as something positive, we become basically unstoppable.
Write it down!
Did you know you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down? It’s true!
Something about putting pen to paper really helps keep us accountable, but also we are more likely to internalize the things we write. And yes, typing is fine too. But there is actually something that goes on in your brain when you physically form the words with a writing implement. Not only that, but it forces you to become clear and specific about what you want. Plus, physically crossing something off a list will never not be satisfying.
Your goals are allowed to change!
We are human, and we are constantly changing. Our circumstances change, our priorities shift, and that’s ok. No goal ever has to be etched in stone. In fact, checking in with our goals every now and then and adjusting them accordingly is incredibly healthy.
We hope this helps! As always, it’s important to do what works for you, so feel free to give your own personal spin to any one of these tips or questions.
Are there other strategies you can think of that have worked for you in the past?
