It seems just moments ago we were ringing in the New Year – 2017. How are you doing with the resolutions, goals, commitments or desires you made? Have you followed your game plan, or did you get distracted or sidelined?
Most sports have a halftime break. The teams go to their locker rooms, assess their game plan, and strategize. Even if they are ‘down,’ there is always the chance of a comeback in the second half. Lou Holtz, well-known football coach, observed, “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or loser.”
I invite you to take a halftime break and assess:
- What are your key goals, and how are you doing with those? Be honest! This can be difficult, because there’s a tendency to blame or beat ourselves up. I get it! Be kind to yourself, and take a look. It’s the only way to learn and improve. And if you haven’t put those goals in writing, please do that now. Don’t go for perfection, just progress!
- Figure out how to respond. Many of us tend to be overly optimistic and distracted by the many diversions of life – yes, even coaches do this! Look at what has prevented you from following through the way you wanted. Get curious and honest with yourself. If you’re not doing the best you can, what will it take for you to step up? Look at this creatively, like you would with your child’s science project. We’re still just going for progress.
- Reconnect with why you wanted those goals. If you want to get healthy, write down the tremendous benefits of taking care of your body, and the cost of failing to follow through. What are you willing to do to achieve that outcome? Tony Robbins’ quote is a great reminder: “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them.” What inspires you? Change your goals if the current ones don’t inspire you.
- Make a realistic second-half plan. Take into account the lessons learned from the previous steps to find a winning strategy for the rest of the year. Goals are simply habits in action. Focus on implementing small habits more than heroic, inconsistent actions. Consider Warren Buffett’s view: “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” We’re still just going for progress.
In the book Changing for Good by Prochaska and Norcross, the authors reveal some great news: the more we attempt to change a behavior, the more likely we are to be successful. The more you attempt to quit smoking, lose weight, stop drinking, stop over-spending, or any other goal, the more likely you are to be successful – IF you learn from each attempt. You must honestly assess what didn’t work, what did work, and what other actions you can take for success. If you stay connected to what motivates you. Halftime is a great opportunity to learn and adjust our game plans. December will be here before you know it. How will YOU respond to the challenge in the second half?
