Is your life in need of a spring cleaning?
Being a high-achiever, you probably started the year hitting the ground running with new goals, projects and improved habits.
I know I did. But recently, I found myself having a conversation with myself because, after a crazy busy start to the year, I was feeling drained.
Maybe you are on track, feeling great, and plowing through the year with the same level of energy and motivation. If so, that’s amazing, and I couldn’t be happier for you!
But if you’re like me and are feeling like you need to do some reflection or need a reset, I have some prompts to share with you that helped me get to the root of what’s important to me, what I need to focus on, and what I can do to re-energize myself.
I think spring is the perfect time to do an honest check-in with ourselves to see how the year is progressing, how we’re feeling, and what adjustments we need to make.
Reflecting on our goals and priorities ensures that we go through our days with intention, leading us to succeed. If not, we spend our days on autopilot, responding to everyone else’s agendas, which can feel unfulfilling.
We also can learn so much about ourselves when we take the time to review our achievements. So many lessons and growth in those experiences need to be recognized and carried forward with us to pursue our future goals. If we don’t take the time to reflect, we lose out. I can’t remember where I saw this quote, but it said; A.R.B – Always review backward.
We must also question when things aren’t working for us or we feel drained. We may be surprised with what comes up by asking the right questions.
When I was feeling drained, I asked myself specific questions to get the clarity I needed, and I hope you can also benefit from reflecting on these questions.
Let’s get started…
How is your year going so far?
Are you on track with what planned at the start of the year? How are your goals progressing? Are you moving in the right direction? What’s working well for you right now? What can you celebrate?
If you’re feeling off track, it’s ok. Ask yourself what got in the way or what’s not working. What do you need to plan to get you closer to your goals for the remainder of the year?
In my case, I was excited about all the boxes I could check off. But what I think made my feeling drained is that I don’t take time to celebrate my successes, which is not uncommon for us high-achievers. We continuously move on to the next goal post without pausing to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Celebrating wins of the day helps us to stay motivated and excited about the goals we’re working on, and it helps create the momentum we all crave. I’m sharing this because if you don’t celebrate your wins regularly, it’s a must to improve in this area! I’m sure this will be a lifetime goal of mine.
If you’re looking for more on this subject, I recently read an excellent book: The gap and the gain, by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy (no affiliate marketing here, just want to share it with you). This book was a huge eye-opener for me and, I’m now going through all the exercises to see how I can improve in this area and live more in the gain.
Are the goals you planned for the year still relevant?
Seasons change, priorities shift, and life happens. A pivot may be needed, and know that that’s ok. Or maybe the goals you thought would excite you are no longer filling your cup. That’s ok too. You are the one in the driver’s seat of your future. You get to decide. I wouldn’t want you to continue chasing a goal that is no longer important to you, but you keep at it only because it was on the list initially.
Last year I was in the middle of a big project when we learned our dog needed major knee surgery with a three-month recovery period with little to no walking. After feeling devastated, I realized that this would be my new priority for that season. I did not accomplish all of my goals last year, but I learned that we need to give ourselves some grace when these things happen. We all have things going on, and I think we need to be a little kinder to ourselves when life gets in the way. Take a breather, reassess what’s possible, and realign the goal.
As you go through the year, how are you feeling?
Are you living into what you value most? Are you using your values as your guiding principles? What do you want more of? What do you want less of or need to get rid of? What is giving you energy lately? What is depleting your energy?
Once you get a pulse overall on how you feel, you can take the necessary actions to prioritize your needs and what you most want. I ask myself these questions regularly, as well, I also keep my values written down and review them each week when I plan my time to make sure they are prioritized.
Your list of what you want more of might look like mine; Read a personal development book, delegate stuff dragging me down, focus on the things that matter, attend a course or webinar. I know that these things make me feel good, so I should see them somewhere in my calendar. When I implement these activities in my week, I generally feel better. What does your list look like?
Is anything holding you back from being the best possible version of yourself?
How can you get back to this best version of yourself state? What habit(s) can you start to help get you the best possible results? Maybe it’s getting to bed early or eating cleaner. Whatever that is for you, add it to your life every single day. Think about how you can organize your time to make this habit easy to implement and protect that time in your calendar.
An example for me is that I’m conscious of what I put into my body, especially at lunchtime. If I eat a bowl of pasta for lunch, my productivity in the afternoon is not the same as when I eat something like eggs and spinach. These things can certainly have an impact on our energy and as a result, on our goals.
Lastly, complete these sentences.
I do well and feel well when I’m ________ How can you do more of that thing?
I feel well when I’m surrounded by ________ How can you get more of that?
As you reflected on your year so far, what stood out for you?
What did you learn?
And what will you do starting right now to have the best possible year for yourself?
And remember…
It’s never too late for a reset.
It’s perfectly ok to pivot.
Just make sure what you’re working on in your life and career matter to you and that they are not things you think you should be doing or have to do. It’s your life, and these are your goals!
And ALWAYS recognize and reward yourself for how far you’ve come. Celebrate every success along the way.
Please share this with someone you think might need a little spring pick-me-up.
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photo by anete lusina
