This post is about the doing a re-set in regards to your goals.
The months of January and September are placeholder months for me. These are the months when I stop to review how the previous year has gone or what I need to get done in the final quarter of the year. These are opportune times for me to reassess my goals and create new ones that are more relevant.
I developed this habit when I went into business for myself years ago. It’s wise to stop periodically to see how you’re doing in relation to the goals you set, the intentions you had, and the business you have developed. It also helps to review what you’ve achieved and where you continue to get stuck.
January is full of new beginnings with all the possibilities that come with new resolutions and commitments for improvement. Although it’s still winter, the solstice is now behind us and more light continues to brighten our days. September is the glorious season of Indian summer. As the days grow shorter and the light gets longer, we move into autumn with one last, great burst of heat and light. It’s a time to reap what you’ve sown, to harvest what’s grown since springtime.
Use these months to assess the fruits of your labors by asking yourself three good questions that are most relevant to you. Here are mine:
1) What progress have I made toward the goals I set for myself last January and what’s left to do?
2) Where do I get stuck? What prevents me from moving forward?
3) What makes the most sense: Do I continue to try to achieve the goals I set for myself? Do I need to realign my priorities so that I’m working on what’s actually happening now and not just an idea of what I thought was supposed to be happening this year?
Sounds like more than three questions to me, but that’s what I love about questions: As I formulate them, I often find some answers within them!
If you’re really having a tough time meeting your goals, try setting a very small one and accomplish that. Every time we achieve a small goal, it makes it much easier to achieve a larger one. Small gains create the kind of attitude and energy we need to accomplish larger tasks.
Whatever you do use the energy of season to feel good about what you can accomplish. These months will be over before you know it and different opportunities will arrive with the coming of the next season.
Kathleen