Here in the U.S., the end of one year, and the beginning of the next
always brings out our desire to reflect on the past and plan for the
future. We look back over the past year and note what we would like
to change and then look forward, through New Year's resolutions, goals
and other plans. Unfortunately, by the time we reach the mid-point
of the year in June, many of those thoughts have been forgotten, resolutions
have been abandoned and we might find ourselves so immersed in our
day-to-day work that we have lost all memory of what we had planned
to do. If you aren't doing it already, I highly recommend taking an
hour, a day or even a week to re-evaluate the current state of your
life and career so you can re-adjust your actions to re-focus on your
goals.
As you head into the height of the summer, it is easy to lose sight
of your goals. Business is moving at a blistering pace, family obligations
are increasing and vacations might even be on the near horizon. There
is so much competing for your attention that you tend to jump from
one activity to another. So the first step in your mid-year review
is to stop. That's right. Carve out a portion of a day, or maybe
several days, just to review and think about where you want to
be by the end
of the year. If you don't do it now, it is very likely that you will
be well off target when December arrives. This review gives you a
chance to adjust your direction or even turn it completely around.
Maybe you have forgotten to follow up on an important issues, client
or project. Perhaps you have discovered that this project is no longer
important or has moved you in a direction you don't want. It could
be that some goals have been achieved or rendered unimportant. What
new goals should be added? Life changes a lot in 6 months and you if
you don't take the time to review, you are likely to be pulled along
with the current of life until you are reminded at the end of the year, "Hey,
how did I forget about that?"
This is also a great time to review your relationships with friends,
family and, especially, your significant others. June is a popular
month for marriages in the U.S., so many of us, myself included,
will be celebrating an anniversary this month. While you might
want to take
each other out for dinner and a movie, do a favor for both of you
and talk together about your life and what adjustments you need
to make.
At the most basic level, getting a handle on your schedules is a
great place to start. I know that trying to coordinate the 3 wildly
different
schedules of my wife, son and myself, can be more difficult than
I ever imagined. What plans do you need to make for summer vacation?
What major projects are coming up in your work? Are their family
events
that require travel planning like airlines, hotels and rental cars?
Get it all on the table now, so it doesn't spring back to mind at
the worst possible moment.
Take the time to talk about your plans and goals for the next 6 months.
I find a quiet evening and a bowl of popcorn help to facilitate this.
Make sure that everyone is aware of what everyone else is planning
and doing. I can guarantee you that you will discover conflicts that
you knew nothing about. Typically this includes items like the Scout
camping trip falls exactly during the time of your big business trip
to New York, or the family wedding, where you are the best man, happens
before the kids are out of school. You don't want surprises like
this when a little review would have given you an opportunity to
address
them long before they occurred.
Don't wait until the calendar rolls over to another year to review
your life and career commitments. Take some time this month to re-evaluate,
re-adjust and relax, comfortable in the knowledge that you know where
you've been in the last 6 months and know where you are headed for
the rest of the year.
- END -
Career
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