Reassessing Your Goals And What You Have Accomplished
I love aligning myself with the seasons. Even if you live in a place without many discernible changes between seasons, you can still feel the subtle differences in temperature, plants blooming and just the feeling in the air. For me, moving with the seasons makes me feel connected to the earth and the cycles in life. I like to compare myself to where I was at this time last year, for better or for worse, as a way to make sure I am on the track I want to be. It happens almost naturally at the first feeling of the shift in the air between seasons. I will experience a deja vu that will bring me back to where I was at this time last year and I can take a quick assessment. Usually, I end up remembering something that was a huge problem for me at this time last year that is completely resolved now. Other times though, the feeling of dread comes over you as you realize that you are still in the same spot dealing with the same issues. If this happens though it is not a time to fret! Too often, we tend to expect quick results of our goals but the biggest of goals are not realized so quickly. Even if the largest of the goals have yet to be met, it doesn't mean that you have accomplished nothing in the past year. Come with us now in an enlightening writing exercise that will help you make a connection to your goals both accomplished and pending.
Start this seasonal checkup by going to your favorite spot for meditation and mindfulness exercises. Bring with you your preferred writing instrument and get ready to assess your past half year. Now of course, it goes without saying that the past year was a little bit unique for us all, so we will approach this with some extra grace. Really in general, whenever we are judging ourselves and trying to make plans for our future we should do so with a gentleness. Sometimes we are our own worst bosses and critics. Start with a few centering breaths and put yourself to where you were at this time last year. If you are like me who get triggered by changes in nature, step outside and let the breeze and temperature bring you back. Ask yourself, “What were your biggest fears at this time last year?” let the words just come to you, don't worry about grammar or spelling, just let the words flow through you. When you are complete, look at these fears and see which ones are resolved. Chances are, some of them are laughable now and others are completely wiped from your memory. Perhaps some still remain, put those aside for now. Do the same process with the following questions:
− What were you hoping to accomplish at this time last year?
− What were you most afraid of last year?
− What were you most hopeful for?
− Where did you think you would be at this time?
Once you are done with all of these questions you should already have a decent amount of perspective on how the time went and probably have a sense of accomplishment on what you did move forward from. Now it is time to look at those issues that still remain that we put aside. The things we are still struggling with will offer us not only an insight into our past year but a framework for revising goals going forward. If you read these articles frequently you will notice I often make calls of self assessment throughout the year. I do this because often the way we think we are going to accomplish a goal is rarely how we actually will accomplish them. Revilement is always necessary to get the best results.
Take each of your setbacks and look at them closely. List the reasons why you feel you weren't able to accomplish something and if it was in or out of your control. Those things that are out of your control you can let go, of all the years, 2020 is definitely one that could have outside circumstances. Now look at those things that were in your control and ask yourself how you can approach these problems differently. Is there a time management or being too busy problem? Can you find outside help in other areas of your life to help free up more time? Are you moving towards this goal just at a slower pace than you originally thought? The key here is to find a solution for your issues while also not beating yourself up over them. Once you have developed a plan, take a moment and look back at everything you did accomplish this past half year. Look at the things that you were so worried about that now don't even cross your mind and all the ways you have grown. Take a moment to appreciate the blessings you have received and open your heart to receiving more over the coming year. Reach out with your comments and questions at info@bullionite.com.