(Photo credit: Grace Church)
Week #29 – “Where to now?” (Happy Spring!)
Spring officially began on March 20th — and the 2nd Quarter began April 1st. Twelve weeks of the new year have past — that’s one full quarter of 2015 in the books!
Where to now?
It’s a question Rob and I would ask each other on one of those long rambling drives I mentioned in last week’s post. We’d come to a stopping point — an intersection, a convenience store, or a look at some car Rob wanted to buy — and ask: “Where to now?”
The end of the calendar year is always a natural time to look back at the year behind, and plan for the year ahead. We hear a lot in December about goal setting, resolutions to end old habits, and promises to start new ones. Not so much in April though!
But the change of seasons or the beginning of a fresh quarter is a good time to stop, revisit, and re-evaluate our direction. Are your goals still relevant? Are you on track to achieve them? Have you had a life event that mandates a total change in direction? Or have you achieved some of your goals and need to set new ones?
There’s a nice, even 13 weeks to round out each quarter — and a fresh perspective if you set goals from season to season. You could think about what you’d like to accomplish by June 30th — or you might consider what you’d like to do this Spring. There’s been much discussion recently that happiness is not tied to achievement alone — but to the experiences we have along the way. Don’t let new seasons get lost on the express track to New Year’s Eve!
What would you like to experience or achieve this Spring 2015?
Your assignment for this week: If you have them handy, take some time to revisit your dreams/goals for 2015. (And if you don’t have them handy, don’t worry — just start fresh with today!) Ask yourself the tough questions above. If your goals are still relevant, set some new mini-goals for this next quarter alone: what would you like to achieve by June 30th? Also, think about the season ahead: what would you like to experience this Spring (before summer vacations, breaks, activities, and visitors take over your calendar)? Finally — have you achieved some of your goals already? WONDERFUL!!! Take time to celebrate!
And then…set some new goals! I’ve read some interesting material lately about the emotional slack following big or long-sought-after achievements. Setting new goals or having new experiences on deck is essential to keeping our energy up and forward focused! (Good advice for graduates, mid-lifers, and retirees alike!)
So…where to now?
Spread Happyness — share your dreams, goals, and celebration in the comments!!!
3/27/15 by Grace Church
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