As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, fall presents a perfect opportunity for reflection and reassessment. Living in rhythm with the changing season helps provide us with a great opportunity to reflect and adjust. By this time of year, many of us have set New Year’s resolutions, filled with hope and ambition. However, as the months have passed, it’s easy to lose sight of those goals amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Now is the time to check in on those aspirations and make any necessary adjustments to ensure we stay on track for personal growth and fulfillment.
Checking in on your New Year’s goals in the fall serves several important purposes:
1. Reflection: It allows you to reflect on your journey thus far. What progress have you made? What challenges have you encountered? Reflecting on these questions can provide valuable insights into your motivations and the effectiveness of your strategies.
2. Reevaluation: Life is dynamic, and so are our goals. What seemed important in January may no longer resonate with you. This is a chance to reevaluate your goals and determine if they still align with your current values and circumstances.
3. Motivation: A three-quarter year check-in can reignite your motivation. Celebrating small victories can boost your confidence and encourage you to push forward, while acknowledging setbacks can help you develop resilience.
Here are some steps to guide you through your fall check-in:
1. Review Your Goals: Take a moment to revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the year. Write them down and assess your progress. Are you on track? Have you achieved any milestones? Do you need to release yourself from a goal that is no longer important to you? Where do you need to celebrate? How are you proud of yourself?
2. Identify Obstacles: Consider any obstacles that may have hindered your progress. Were they external factors, or did internal barriers such as fear or self-doubt play a role? Looking at the obstacles through the lens of kindness towards ourselves is important. Our instinct is to condemn ourselves and feel like a failure. Condemning ourselves does not produce change. How can you be kind towards yourself with the obstacles you have faced.
3. Celebrate Achievements: No matter how small, celebrate your achievements. Recognizing your progress can boost your morale and motivate you to continue working toward your goals. You have walked 9 months of this year. You have traversed paths you did not know were coming when you made goals in January. Celebrate your perseverance, what you have learned, where you are now.
4. Adjust as Needed: If you find that some goals no longer resonate with you, it’s perfectly okay to adjust them. Set new, more relevant goals that align with your current life situation and aspirations.
5. Create an Action Plan: For the goals you wish to pursue, create a clear action plan. Break down your goals into smaller, manageable steps, and set deadlines to keep yourself accountable. Reverse engineer where you want to be. Start at the finish line and walk backwards. What steps do you need to take?
6. Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out for support. Whether it’s friends, family, or a counselor, sharing your goals and challenges can provide encouragement and accountability. Who do you need to loop in to help you? We are not made to live our life in a vacuum, we are community dependent.
As we transition into the final months of the year, remember that it’s never too late to make progress toward your goals. Fall is a season of change and transformation, making it an ideal time to realign your focus and intentions. Embrace this opportunity to check in on your New Year’s resolutions, celebrate your journey, and set yourself up for success as you move into the new year.
The fall check-in is not just about assessing what you’ve accomplished; it’s about understanding yourself better and fostering a growth mindset. By taking the time to reflect, reevaluate, and adjust, you can ensure that your goals continue to serve you and lead you further along on your journey.
Happy reflecting!