TSP • @myTSPnet
As the end of summer gets closer and the focus turns to back to school season, now is the perfect time to consider a mid-year reboot, from a personal and/or professional standpoint. Whether or not you are a goal setter, it’s important to look back and assess how far you’ve come since January, and then consider what you want to focus on for the remainder of 2016.
Seasons (and Seasons of Life) Change
Fall brings shorter days and different daily activities for both adults and children. Think about how you might tweak your summer routine to work better with your current schedule. Whether it’s switching up your daily workout class time, waking up a bit earlier to beat the back-to-school traffic, or taking time every night to map out a game plan for the day ahead, your mind and body will appreciate that you’ve adjusted to the new season and taken steps to relieve some small daily stresses. While it may be in our nature to resist change, ultimately it’s better to accept change and make it work to your advantage.
Assess Previous Goals
At this point, we are well over halfway through the year, making it a great time to assess the goals you set in January and evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and what changes are worth your time and energy. Studies show that only 8 percent of Americans are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolutions. Why is this? Goals require focus, energy and self-control: three things that take work. A year is also a long time to sustain one goal! Some experts recommend setting more manageable goals – on a monthly, weekly, or even daily level. New Year’s resolutions are often made in guilt over the Holiday season, geared toward combatting overspending, overeating and under exercising. Now that it is August, take a second to think about what you set out to do and give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished. Sometimes you realize that those resolutions aren’t necessarily that important to you anymore. Ditch the goals you impulsively made and set new goals for the upcoming months.
Tips for Setting New Goals
January resolutions are often made out of idealism, without a specific plan for success. Now that you have assessed your goals and have moved past the blissful New Year optimism, you are more likely to be able to make changes that are realistic and beneficial. Knowing how to set goals is a little trickier. Our top tips? Set SMART goals – goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. According to Dr. Paul Marciano, a fundamental principle of psychology is “if you can measure it, you can change it.” So instead of setting a broad goal with no benchmark, set a goal that is easily tracked with a number. When we see we’ve been successful, we are more likely to keep going.
Not a Goal-Setter? Find Your Motivation Differently.
So your Instagram-worthy vacation to Cabo has come and gone and your summer Fridays are now tabled until Summer ’17. Take a moment to feel that summertime sadness, and then get motivated! Goals aren’t necessarily the best approach for everyone, so find what it takes for you to get out of that summer mentality. Whether it’s buying a new planner, a few spiffy shirts for work, or planning some holiday travel, small things can help motivate you to finish the year strong. You might also consider picking up a new hobby (or revisiting an old one that you enjoyed in the past), learning something new (such as a language, cooking, playing an instrument), or making more of an effort to spend more time with the people who mean the most to you. Sometimes, the simplest changes can make the biggest difference in our overall happiness and success. Check out this article from Lifehack for more simple changes you can make this fall.
As summer winds down, the leaves change, and the temperature cools down, there couldn’t be a better time to reboot and refocus. Sometimes we focus on starting strong, but don’t forget about finishing strong! Take some time this month for yourself to reflect and to determine how to make the final stretch of 2016 the best it can be for you.
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