Is it really June already? I kid you not! It seems like only recently I wrote a blog about '2020 too' a couple days ahead of the new year. Cue the Christmas carols! You have just a little over 6 months to make the best of this year.
What do you do when you review your goals in June and realise you're flopping in parts? Don't give up! Breathe. Cut them in half. Relax those expectations of yourself.
Also, consider that everything doesn't have to be perfect. The best book I've read recently is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. My favourite line from it is, "Done is better than good". It needs no explanation. It is highly recommended particularly for creatives who are perfectionists like me. Everything does not have to be a masterpiece. Just do it!
I wrote 10 goals for this year and I've managed to touch on all of them. To me, that's great! I am most proud of my writing which I'm firmly committed to, like thus weekly blog. Forget what you've been told about "smashing goals". The way I see it, life kinda smashing us right now. Lol! Just do your best. Gas prices, lingering covid-19, monkey pox, electricity bills, spiraling food prices, looming food shortage, war, every day crime, you name it! Some friends of mine and I often jokingly repeat "A it dis!", whenever we see some pestilence upon the world. Sometimes, it really feels like the end. But until then, we will live!
My word for 2022 is BRAVE. And sometimes I have to remind myself or a close friend reminds me. I can't tell you how brave I've been. Lol!
So if you were gonna lose 10 pounds, focus on 5 pounds. If you were gonna go out every month, start now. And guess what? You can go alone. I have a date with myself in the same spot every month. Just me, coffee, breakfast, pastry, and my planner. And I don't feel the need to have anyone join me.
Speaking of a planner, what a joy this has been. It has helped me to stay organised for the most part, bringing more order to my sometimes chaotic personal life. We oftentimes tend to keep a work diary to stay on top of things in the 9 to 5, while we wing it through the rest of the day. Guilty!
But, not anymore. And I'm rather meticulous about not writing anything about work in my personal planner. You'd be amazed at the 'little things' I write in that planner. Why? Because every little thing in my personal life matters, just as the things at work, matter. Time with my family, for example. A daily devotion to start my day. Recreation. Quiet time. Oh the joy of silence! My planner has helped me to form habits and to focus on gratitude. There's something to be thankful for every day! Sometimes I fall off course but as soon as I remember, I fill those gratitude slots.
So my friends, what will you do with your remaining 6 months? You'll put the same energy you did into planning during December or January. Use the rest of June to do it. Do not strike a thing off that list. If you haven't touched them, cut them in half. Remember the SMART strategy as you do - SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT and TIME BOUND.
Give it your best, but be gentle with yourself in those remaining 6 months. And as Mel Robbins would say, "Look into the mirror and high-five yourself." You've got this! You're doing great!
I Am Suzette Campbell
Note: Originally published on June 4, 2022
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