It’s hard to believe, but 2020 is halfway over! For some this is great news and for others this is a shocking reminder to get going on your goals. I think we can all agree that 2020 is not panning out the way we envisioned when we were ringing in the new year back in January. I’ve seen many memes summing up the challenges of 2020 and social media posts wishing 2021 would just get here already. If it serves you well to close the books on 2020 during this season of hardship and change, then you might consider reading this post later when you feel ready to focus on goal achievement. If you still have hope for 2020 and the goals you want to achieve by the end of the year, then read on! 

I’m continually fascinated by the achievers and the non-achievers. I believe we all have dreams in our hearts and desires for our lives. In my work coaching and developing small business owners, I’ve noticed differences in the way achievers approach goals and how they intentionally shape their mindset. Achievers have a great deal of clarity and they work consistently (not perfectly) to achiever their goals. They also regularly grow their confidence and courage. Carol Dweck is an expert on mindset and in her research has found people either have a fixed or growth mindset. During difficult times those with a growth mindset are prone to prevail. 

We still have six months left this year to grow, build new habits, learn and make an impact. If you desire a breakout performance in 2020, then I recommend you schedule and honor the time on your calendar to reflect and plan. I’m a huge advocate of reflecting and tracking your progress. This information empowers you on your goal achievement journey. Reflecting allows you to learn from your past activities, habits and beliefs so you can make intentional decisions on how to move forward. This increased awareness puts you back in control of achieving your goals. Once you reflect on where you are at, what is working and what is not working you can strategize on how to move forward in the next month and quarter to inch closer to goal attainment.

The conclusion of June marked the end of another month, the end of the second quarter and the halfway point in the year. I realize it might be a bit overwhelming to conduct a month-end review, quarterly review and mid-year review at the same time, so I’ve compiled my favorite reflection questions and planning steps to help you review your progress and be intentional during the second half of the year. Are you ready to maximize your potential and achieve your 2020 definitions of success?

Planning 

• Which goal is the most meaningful to achieve this year? 
• How do you need to think differently to achieve this goal?  
• What activity do you need to do in Q3 to accelerate your progress towards goal achievement?
• List three strategies to drive this activity
• What strategy do you want to implement in July? 

If you are new to the process of reflecting and planning this might feel like a lot to tackle right now, so start small. Pick one reflection question and one planning question. As your self-awareness and strategic thinking grows you might feel inspired to embrace more of the process. If this process resonates with you, set a reminder to engage in a month-end review at the conclusion of each month and a quarterly review in March, June, September and December. You can also consider hiring a goal achievement coach to guide you through this process, offer feedback and hold you accountable to following through. If you need a referral to a coach, I know someone.

My dad always says “you never know where you will be in a year!” As I reflect on 2020, I find his quote to be incredibly relevant. A year ago I was processing professional disappointment and learning how to listen to my own intuition. I was chipping away at a fixed mindset, re-writing negative mental narratives and exploring the limiting beliefs that were keeping me from the life I wanted. I’ve experienced first hand the power of pausing to reflect and plan. I can see the impactful results that come from taking the time to understand what is happening and empowering myself to make different decisions in the direction of my goals. My process of reflecting and planning has evolved over time, and what once felt doubtful is now one of the practices I enjoy most in my business.