If you are like me, you may be wondering where the month of July is rushing too. It is almost the end of the month and I am yet to create time and spend a day reflecting on what this year can still amount to given what the pandemic has done to us.

Given the fact that sharing is caring, I would love for you to journey with me and answer the five questions that I will be considering as I reflect, reevaluate, and possibly reset this year to ensure that it turns out to be a good one.

I would want to think that you too belong in the group of people who believe that in spite of what has happened this year, there is still time for us to make good of it and have results come 31 December. In view of this, here are what I as a Leadership and Productivity Coach think can help us look in a positive direction and create the results we desire.

#1. What Wins Have You Achieved So Far?

I know what you are thinking now. How can she even think of wins given what this year has turned out to be? However, before you close me out, allow me to make my case why this should be the first question.

First of all, it allows you to start on a positive note and forces you to look for the good among the bad. Secondly, I have had people give up on this year and say it is time to PIVOT. When I looked up what the word pivot in business means this is what showed up:

“while pivoting in the startup world means to shift to a new strategy, it is often believed to entail drastically changing the whole company and focusing on a different set of customers by positioning a company into a new market or vertical”

According to this definition, pivoting means going in a different direction from the one you were originally in. While this may be okay after you have done your work and discovered that this is the direction you ought to take, there is a problem if you simply decide to pivot because everyone is doing so. Why you may ask and my answer is that you may be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. When you pause and ask the question of what has worked so far, it allows you to sieve out the good, set it aside and then build on it.

So start by making a list of the wins you have had so far this year. If you are one of those who come up with a word of the year.   Ask yourself how this word has served you so far. In my case, my word for 2020 is growth. One of the areas I want to grow in is my spiritual life. As I list my wins, I will state that I am now part of a prayer group that prays every day for at least an hour, I am reading and being greatly impacted by Mark Batterson’s book on prayer and I now have a set routine that allows me to read the word every day. In fact, I am on target to finish my one year chronological Bible by the end of this year.

Go ahead and ask yourself this question and be ready to answer it with an open mind. Your answers will not only surprise you but put you on the right path as you conduct your mid-year audit.

#2. Who Have You Become In The Process?

I love this question because it helps shift the focus from what may be happening around you to who you have become as a result of what happened. Without a doubt, none of us on planet earth knew that the year 2020 would have turned out the way it has. Many people including prominent leaders reacted differently some even blaming others for the mess. However, as I am coming to learn, there is always a message in every mess. Our work is to be alert and extract the message from the mess and then act on it. I find the words of Mandy Hale very comforting at such a time as this;

“have faith in your journey everything had to happen exactly as it did to get you where you are going next”.

For sure into every life, some rain must fall. Maybe for some of us, there has been more rain than we wanted or needed. However we know that for there to be growth at least according to nature, rain is necessary. In view of this, as you answer this question, be kind to yourself. Dig deep and look for what this pandemic has made you become. Perhaps you have reconsidered certain things like in my case do I really need to buy a new pair of shoes every time I walk past Aldo? Certainly, I am a kinder person. I am moved by things that I never paid attention to in the past. Brian Tracy\’s quote on attitude comes to mind it says

“you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you”

What is certain is that no crisis ever leaves us the same. It changes us in many ways some positive others in a negative way. I pray that in your case you are changed in a positive way. So go ahead and dig deep as you answer this question. Your answers will help you with the questions that follow.

#3. What Opportunities Are Available For You Now?

Although no crisis ever leaves us the same, if you look closely and approach it with an open mind, there are always opportunities that come with every crisis. It could be like in the case of the current pandemic you got the chance to slow down and reflect on where you are in life and what you are involved in. I know for sure that COVID-19 showed many of us that the things we thought were of value or important to us are not as important as we thought.

Everything that the world tends to worship was taken away from us. In addition, it equalized us all and showed us that in the end our power and strength should come from within us and not from what we have or own. Further, that it is what we have within us that matters and can carry us through any crisis.

As you answer this question do so with an open mindset. Avoid punching holes in the ideas that come to mind there will be a time for this in the next question. You should come up with a long list that should excite you and bring you hope for the future.

#4. What Obstacles Are Hindering You From Taking Advantage Of The Opportunities

This is the stage when you begin critically evaluating the opportunities you listed in question 3. Some of them may not be viable at this stage of your life. Make a mental note of this and promise yourself that you will revisit them.

It is very important that you are aware of the obstacles however, do not allow this to put you down. This is perhaps why Ryan Holiday in his book The obstacle is the way cautions us thus;

“what matters most is not what our obstacles are but how we react to them and whether we keep our composure”

Keep in mind that sometimes once you are aware of the obstacle it allows you to create something new and better as you go around the obstacle. In addition, addressing obstacles makes us grow in ways we would never have had the obstacle not existed. In view of this, as you answer this question ask God for wisdom and eyes to see the way out of the obstacles you put down.

#5. Who Will Hold Your Hand On The Journey To Success

The journey to success is often not a smooth one. Sometimes as you go through the bumpy parts you may be tempted to give up. It is at such times that you need someone who can believe in you and encourage you to forge ahead. Pete Carroll says it best;

“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen”

As a Leadership and Productivity Coach with the John Maxwell Team, I have both the skills and the heart to help get you from where you currently are to where you desire to be. You can book a complimentary 30 Minutes session to ascertain if we can work together.

Finally,

As you set aside time to conduct your mid-year audit, do so with a hopeful heart that the days ahead of us are better than those behind us. Avoid letting your current circumstances affect your dreams. Instead focus on the fact that God has good plans for each of us and that he is faithful to keep his promise in John 16:33 that although we may have some hardship on the journey of life, he overcame and so can we. Let us keep in mind that there is still a lot of good around us. The key is to intentionally turn on the light within us so that it can illuminate the darkness we may be experiencing at the moment.