Fall is one of my favorite times of year! The changing weather, the excitement of getting back into school for the kids, and relief of shifting back into routines after a busy summer of exciting adventures, but no consistency!
As we head into this change in the weather season, one of my favorite things to do is to step back and set your goals for the last quarter of the year. This includes evaluating and reflecting on where you are currently, where you’ve been for the last 3/4 of the year, and what you can see coming up in the last quarter. Take time to celebrate the victories along the way, and also look at what can be adjusted to finish the year strong.
If you try to look at all of the last 9 months that way, it can be overwhelming, so here’s a trick to help you focus: Take a look at 3 areas of your life that matter the most.
For me, my three pillars are health, budget and mindset. Once you’ve identified your 3 priority pillars, start to get specific within each of those areas on things that have gone really great and areas where you need to improve, step up, or adjust completely and revamp so that as you move forward, you are continuing to progress.
Here are a few things to remember as you’re evaluating your progress and resetting your goals:
- It’s about progress, not perfection. Even if you didn’t hit your goal, did you make an improvement?
- If you’ve really fallen down in a certain area, remember that there is good in all things. What good can you pull from this “failure” to turn it into a learning opportunity?
- Be curious, not judgemental. It can be difficult to show compassion to ourselves, but to say it’s important is an understatement.
- Don’t criticize yourself for what “went wrong”. Instead, take some time to reflect and brainstorm some options to help yourself succeed next time.
- Give yourself grace – Life is a journey, not a destination.
Whether you’re setting or resetting your goals, keeping the end in mind is crucial. Having a solid vision of your motivation is so intrinsic to actually achieving what you desire. However, it’s just as important to acknowledge the road that you’re on to seeing this success. Most of the time, your road isn’t going to be wide open, smooth streets; rather, it’s going to be narrow, bumpy, sometimes mountainous and full of curves. Keep your goals in front of you, but also remember to give yourself (and others!) some grace, love, and flexibility along the way. Be present, take your journey one step at a time, and use your deepest motivations as a beacon to guide your way!
As the famous Dr. Suess says in “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”:
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact
and remember that Life‘s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!
98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed
Kid you’ll move mountains!