Mid-Year Reviews and Looking Ahead

It’s August 1st, the sun is out, the days are still long, and sub-zero temperatures seem like just a bad dream now. We’re well and truly into the 2nd half of 2017 and it’s time to take stock of what has been and what is still to come.

MID-YEAR REVIEWS

For many of you, this time of year brings mid-year reviews, both for you and your teams. They can sometimes feel like an administrative exercise, a painful one at that, but by stopping for a moment and really thinking about your achievements in the first six months of the year, and then looking ahead to what still needs to be done, the process can re-energize you.

People rarely take the time to look back and congratulate themselves on successes although many will spend an inordinate amount of time beating themselves up for their perceived “failures” or shortcomings. Yes, you know who you are :)

Whatever you thought of the first half of this year, whatever your boss or team thought, use the feedback and your personal reflections to fully commit to delivering your vision and goals for the remainder of the year. I read earlier this year that it’s good practice to revisit goals every 60 days to maintain your motivation and to make tweaks to your actions as required. I like that idea; it makes a lot of sense so go ahead and set a couple of calendar reminders for 60 and 120 days from now to check in on your progress.

As for me, I’m using August to review the year to date and to tweak my plans for Fall and Winter. I know I still have a great deal to do to deliver my rather gargantuan (perhaps crazy!) goals for the year. Much like last year, I don’t have my plan set in stone and I’m keeping my eyes open for possibilities, opportunities to get me closer to my targets. Staying flexible allows me, as it will you, to grab those opportunities as they come into my line of sight.

LOOKING FORWARD

So, as you look ahead to the coming cooler months and the shortened hours of daylight, boost your positive energy by recommitting to your goals and reminding yourself of your strengths and talents. Become your own biggest cheerleader and see yourself at the end of the year sitting on top of a mountain of your own success.

Finally, you may have noticed this new website, merrettdavies.com – this, along with the updated newsletter that likely brought you here – is part of my own goal delivery for 2017. I would love to hear what you think, especially about the website. Please leave a comment below or send me your feedback (whatever it is – all is welcome) to anne.phelan@mdicoach.com

Enjoy the rest of the summer and be sure to take some vacation time to recharge.