I gave myself the greatest gift last year by blocking off my vacation dates for this year in advance. When I sat down to set my intentions for this year, I found myself so exhausted from accomplishing so many goals last year that all I could think about was how to prioritize rest. As a result, I blocked off one week per quarter. I didn’t assign any particular destinations to the dates; I just knew I would need the time to recharge and decompress.
Last week was my first week off this year. Inspired by the documentary, Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, I decided to make my time off what he calls a Think Week. This is a practice that he has committed to for years. Every year, he takes one week off and goes into a cabin in the woods alone with his books, notepads, and thoughts. As I sat with my thoughts this week, I began packing up my home for an upcoming move.
While packing, I came across some valuable relics. These included old notes from sessions with my first coaching clients, and assessments I’d done during professional development programs I’d participated in to build my business and coaching practice. When I compared where we were to where we are now, the growth and change was astounding.
My clients are living what only a year and a half ago was a dream, and I was able to check off most of the important business benchmarks that I had to leave blank on those assessments because they did not exist at the time. All of this reminded me of the necessity of assessing your progress to help you appreciate where you are right now. It’s important to be present, but sometimes we can forget how far we’ve come when we are so caught up in the moment. Here are a few simple steps to help you assess your progress.
Reflect. Flip through old journals, planners, notebooks, emails or boxes of papers that you haven’t looked at in a while. Take a look at where you were and what you hoped to invite into your life.
Revise. Goals are meant to be revisited and revised. If you stumble across a goal or dream that has not yet been realized, you may need to make it S.M.A.R.T.E.R. We are all too familiar with the first part of that acronym, Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-bound. If your goal is missing any of those components, adjust accordingly. But it’s those last two letters that often make the difference. They stand for Exciting and Relevant. Are you still, or were you ever excited about the goal? Is it relevant to your life right now and who you are today?
Celebrate. We tend to run through life as if the finish line of one marathon is the starting line of the next. Take a moment to pause and celebrate how far you’ve come. In particular, I want you to celebrate making it through mile 22. Those who have run marathons say that somewhere between miles 18 and 24 are the hardest. You know what that tough period was that you made it through. Celebrate getting through that right along with celebrating the victory of winning the race.
This week I challenge you to set aside some time to think. If a Think Week is not feasible, perhaps a think weekend, think day, think hours or think minutes may be possible. During that time, I want you to reflect on and celebrate something that you hoped for which is now your reality. Revise anything that hasn’t happened and release it with love if it is on longer exciting or relevant.
Assess Your Progress.
Manifestation Affirmations
I am excited about the goals and plans that I have for my life.
I celebrate my progress no matter how small.
I am grateful for the challenges I’ve grown through.
Master Your Mind + Master Your Body + Master Your Money = Manifest a Life You Love Most Sincerely, Monica Marie Jones Your Soul Journey Guide