Hit the Pause Button: The Half-Year Reflection
It’s hard to believe that we are almost half way through the year! At these junctures, it’s the perfect time to hit the pause button and step back to reflect. There is a pace and rhythm we get into, and it’s easy in the lull of that rhythm to fall into auto-pilot and to “fall asleep” to what is happening. The beauty of hitting pause is that we have the capacity at any moment in our lives to self-correct, recalibrate, and make a different set of choices.
We invite you to therefore, pause, pull way back from what you are “doing” and make sense of what you have done so far.
- Acknowledge. What has happened so far this year? What have you completed? Who have you been with? What have been your favorite experiences? Too often, we are onto the next thing. The to-do list and the objectives not yet fulfilled loom large. We allow ourselves to believe that we’re only as good as our next gig, next win, or next deliverable. But in reality, a lot has happened. You’ve accomplished. You’ve gained new skills. You’ve grown. You’ve met some great people along the way. Write these down.
- Integrate. As you write down your reflections, consider what you have learned. What have you learned about what you enjoy doing, what gives you juice and renewal in your life and work? What skills are you most excited to use now? How can you update your own perception of yourself to who you are at this very moment? Pull up your bio and update it. Add to your resume. Add to your life vision statement or personal manifesto. Don’t wait for something like a yearly performance review cycle or the need to do a job search. Do this, not as an evaluation, but as a celebration and integration.
- Notice the blind spots. As you scan the year, look at the trend-line against the various areas of your life – physical health, relationships, finances, work, etc. Where have you spent your time and energy? Is this in alignment to how you want to live your life? Is there a miss somewhere? Habits can be hard to break and we are pulled by the gravitational forces of where we are most comfortable or feel safe versus what’s most important to us. Is there one domain of life you tend to ignore or dismiss when life and work get busy? How can you bring some additional attention here?
- Recalibrate. Here’s the fun part – we still have another half of the year to go! For once, time is on our side! Based on this reflection, where do you want to continue your efforts? What do you need to recalibrate? What will have to change to make this change possible? Do you need to make a different set of decisions? Do you need support from others? Give yourself permission to stop the hamster wheel and get off.
The half year reflection can be done from a number of vantage points: for yourself or the leadership role you serve in, for your team/staff, or for your family. As you look back, we suspect you’ll be blown away by the creativity and effort that has already been expended to date. By acknowledging and integrating, you create some space around you to breathe and relax. With new space, the blind spots and points of recalibration for the year become clearer. And, with clarity, all becomes possible as you move forward.
– Amy Jen Su