by Dan Oswald
Believe it or not, as I write this, the first half of 2015 is coming to an end. That’s right, the year is half over, and it’s a good time to mark your progress. Are you well on your way to achieving the goals—both personal and professional—you set for yourself this year?
Before we flip the calendar to July, let’s take stock of what we’ve accomplished so far this year to make sure we are meeting and exceeding our 2015 goals. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help assess your progress:
- Do I regularly review my goals and mark my progress? All too often, we set goals early in the year and stick them in a drawer, where they become all but forgotten. You need to make it a practice to review your goals on a regular basis to ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to achieve them and to take corrective action when you’ve fallen behind.
- Which goals am I confident I’ll achieve, and which are at risk? Sometimes we fall into the trap of paying attention only to the goals we know we will meet. Let’s face it—it’s more fun to talk about the places where we’re succeeding than where we’re falling short. Focus on the at-risk goals, and get them back on track. You might have some lost time to make up for, but with six months left in the year, there’s time to get caught up.
- Have I checked off the goals I’ve already met? You need to physically put a big check mark or star next to the goals you have achieved. There’s something about taking the actual step of memorializing a goal you have met. In fact, you should celebrate your achievements. Reward yourself each time you reach one of your goals. And if you haven’t done so with the goals you’ve met this year, do it now. You should gain a real sense of accomplishment from doing exactly what you set out to do.
- Have I shared my goals and progress with someone close to me? Telling someone else about your goals makes them more real and gives you another person to help you achieve them. So now that someone else knows what you’re trying to achieve, ask her to actually help hold you accountable. Ask her to check in on your progress from time to time. Let her know it’s OK to help push you.
- Have you rewritten your 2015 goals? Just like when you wrote your 2015 goals down as the year started, take the time to rewrite them now. The act of writing down the goals reinforces them in your mind and helps remind you why they were important in the first place. There’s something about putting your goals in writing that makes them more real, more official. Rewriting your goals now will give you a fresh start to the second half of 2015.
The year is half over. Are you halfway to achieving your goals? Have you already achieved some of the things you set out to do in 2015? And for those that remain on your list, are you making good progress so that when you look back on the year, you’ll be proud of your achievements?
If you have fallen behind, that’s OK—there’s still time to catch up. If you have already achieved many or most of your goals, add some more to the list—there’s time to get more done. But whatever you do, make sure you take the time to see where you stand. Mark your progress. Celebrate your achievements. Rewrite your goals. And make the second half of 2015 even better than the first!
Another reason #4 is important is for accountability. When I am pushing for something, I tell close friends and family, so that they can push me, yes, but also because the thought of having to explain my failure to someone else that gives me an extra push.