Question: What are you taking with you into the Second Quarter of this year?
This is the time of year when all the goal setting and scheduling gurus ask you how you’re doing on your goals. After all, on January 1st or before, they told you to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. They urged you to break your goals up into monthly bites. They suggested that you eliminate goals that don’t serve you any longer. They encouraged you to add goals. They insisted that you prioritize your goals.
The thing is: there is truth in what they preach. There IS a method and madness to effective goal setting, vision casting, and life planning. We’ve all heard of the quote, “Aim at nothing and you’re sure to hit it.” Or, the famous Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” We gravitate toward those quotes because they motivate and remind us to shoot for SOMETHING.
To see how you’re doing with your goals in the second quarter, answer 4 simple questions. That’s it. Answer these questions honestly from your heart and the rest of this year might be your very best.
Are you ready for your Second Quarter?
1. Who do you want/need to eliminate from your life? (This can include toxic, negative, critical people, or those who constantly compare themselves to you and you seem to come up on the short end every time, or those who drain your emotional account with every word they utter)
2. Who do you want to add into your life? (This can include empowering, positive people from networking groups, church groups, or any other community group members who are passionate about serving others, or perhaps a mentor or business coach)
3. What do you want/need to eliminate from your life? (Netflix, Hulu, gaming, coffee, alcohol, excessive food intake, negative narratives, toxic habits, and finally, what I call The Triplets (fear, doubt, and unbelief)
4. What do you want to add to your life? (regular walking or exercise, personal development books, healthy food choices, a doable productivity plan, more emotional intelligence)
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Answering these 4 questions from your core just might be all you need to gain a clearer perspective of where you are now and where you want to be. Remember, there are two more quarters of this year so there’s plenty of time for course correction. The answers to the 4 questions might mean making tough decisions on who you spend your time with and with what you entertain yourself with. It might mean the “S” word – SACRIFICE. It might mean the “LG” word – Let Go. It might even mean the “F” word – Forsake.
It’s up to you! Nobody else is in charge of your mental real estate. ONLY YOU! What will you do right now, this minute, to step into a better second quarter?