MidYear Mindset Reset

If you're like me, you might feel a little rudderless if you don't have a goal. And, like me, you may start thinking about why you sometimes exit the playing field before you accomplish all the goals you set at the beginning of the year, let alone the goals you set every day. So before promoting a midyear reset, I propose​

that we need to understand why we peter out rather than going the distance. You might be surprised by the answer!

Have you ever wondered why you sometimes rush to do your non-essential goals like playing Wordle, doing crossword puzzles, or playing online solitaire? And you say, I'll just finish this game, and then I'll start working. It's a fun distraction to play games. And it's work to achieve goals.

So why do we make resolutions every year? Is it because we failed to achieve the goals we set the year before and still hope this year will be different? Research tells us that 80% of new year's resolutions lose their oomph by February. Maybe that's because we forget why the goal was critical in the first place. Or perhaps we simply allow ourselves to be distracted along the way.

The thing that sustains my actions is a "vision of what's possible." When vision manages my effort, I don't stop moving forward, even if it takes longer than I planned. The vision pulls me forward. My dream of what's possible keeps me learning, practicing, tracking results, getting help, and continuing even when the goal is still in effect from year to year. Vision doesn't require a timeline. When time is out of the equation, my WHY and the potential for success become more sustainable. 

So, when I get dissatisfied that the timeline is expanding, I remember that discipline is practicing 1000 days, not 30 days or six months! And no matter how much I want the achievement, completion, or accomplishment of the goal in a shorter time, I must keep going because my WHY matters. 

My vision of what's possible keeps me energized and engaged for the long haul of life. So, I'm changing my mindset on accomplishing goals from an event to a vision of a life worth living that sustains my practice over time. Now I'm on my way, and once in the flow, I laugh out loud that I thought I could accomplish the goal once and for all and then stop doing all the small steps that got me there in the first place!

I still must do the laundry, manage finances, eat healthy, work out, love, listen, speak up, make an effort, and all the stuff that happens along the way to achieving my goals. Then the realization comes more quickly that the goal is not a destination; it's a practice.

Now I take a breath and remember that refinement is practicing 10,000 days. (Do the math, that's over 27 years!) So, cheers to the mid-year mindset reset! And yes, I'll keep playing Wordle!

Let me hear about your mid-year reset. What practice is worth continuing for you?