Welcome to the second half of 2015!
Can you believe we are already SIX months into the year? It feels like the time has passed in the blink of an eye. (Doesn’t it always?!)
You know here at Get Gutsy HQ, we’re all about setting goals and checking in on our progress, so naturally, it’s time for a mid-year check-in!
Now’s the perfect time to curl up with a cup of coffee or tea and spend some quality time with yourself reflecting on the first half of 2015 and see if you’re where you thought you’d be six months ago.
If you are, great! This is a time to pat yourself on the back and feel pride at the awesome work you’ve put in so far this year. If not, that’s okay, too! There are still six full months to go to get to work!
Remember: these six month and yearly check-in points are great calendar reminders, but you can set new goals ANY time of year.
Let’s see how I’m doing so far this year!
A check-in on my three words for 2015
For the third year in a row, I chose three words to guide me through 2015. These strong and powerful words are always on my mind, allowing me to focus on the bigger picture. Let’s check in on how my three words are faring.
1. Light. The word ‘light’ was inspired by a concept in yoga of feeling light, yet feeling grounded to the earth at the same time. For me, the word also has a double meaning of both FEELING light, but also BEING a light for the Get Gutsy community. This word has been super impactful as I’ve journeyed through the first half of the year. I absolutely feel lighter as I’ve completely shifted my priorities and I finally feel like they are in a place where I want them. I’ve prioritized myself and my biggest goals of the moment. I’ve stopped going to events I’m not wildly excited about and I’ve cleared my schedule for the things that are most important to me. I’ve left myself space to be quiet. I feel MUCH lighter than I have felt in previous years and it feels amazing. It’s always a work in progress, but that’s exactly what it feels like to me right now: progress.
2. Choice. When I was talking to a friend about my three words at the end of 2014, I explained to her that I was looking for a word that would help me remember to protect my energy and together we came up with the word ‘choice.’ The word choice has certainly guided me through the first half of the year. I’m getting much better at saying no (I promise, it gets easier the more you do it!) and even implemented a reverse to-do list. Similar to what I said about ‘light’ above, my choices now reflect my biggest passions and who I really am. I’ve even turned down freelance work (believe me, it’s hard to say no to money) that doesn’t align with my current goals or priorities.
3. Possibility. I said this six months back and I still believe it now: I don’t think there’s a more beautiful word in the English language than possibility. Even more so now that we’re halfway into the year, I feel so filled with excitement about all of the great possibility that lies ahead. I’m reminded every single day of how beautiful life is and how we all have something to share and something we are called to do. I feel pretty clear about my next steps, and while I’m open to the changes life may throw my way, I feel excited about the great possibilities ahead.
My most proud accomplishments from the first half of the year
While I don’t set goals or resolutions at the beginning of the year anymore (instead I set those weekly and monthly), I do think it’s important to look back and reflect on all that you’ve accomplished in the past six months.
- I achieved my biggest goal to date: I completed yoga teacher training and officially became a yoga teacher!
- My freelance business continued to grow. I took on some higher-paying clients and larger long-term projects- a great way to supplement and support some of the smaller, monthly projects I continue to complete each month.
- I wrapped my first year as the president of the newly-formed Temple Women’s Network, an alumni society for Temple women. I was re-elected and my two year term officially began on July 1!
- Speaking of Temple University, my wonderful alma mater named me one of the Top 25 Owls to Follow on Twitter.
- The Second Annual Get Gutsy Week was a massive success. It totally exceeded every single one of my expectations with more than 60 essay contest entries submitted.
- I hosted a Personal Branding Bootcamp Session with PHLBloggers.
- My website was named to the list of the top 100 websites for writers by The Write Life and the 100 best sites for solopreneurs by One Woman Shop.
- I launched my first product, a course called 30 Days of Gutsy. After a successful beta run in November, the course launched publicly with more than 15 students going through the program in March. Stay tuned for the next iteration of the course this fall!
- I found a new way to stay fit after my breakup with running- thanks to my friend Rachel, I discovered Focus T25 and have since completed the program and continue to do the workouts daily.
- My friendships strengthened. I talk about yoga a lot because it has completely changed my life, but one of the best ways it has done that is by introducing me to a whole new group of friends whom I feel like I have known forever.
- Continued growing in my full-time job as the communications manager at a tourism office. After a promotion last year, my job responsibilities changed drastically and I finally feel like I have a strong handle on media relations with lots of great successes over the past six months.
- My personal yoga practice deepened- I’ve taken 110 yoga classes since January 1 and have had several breakthroughs with new poses: forearm stand, eight-angle pose and koundinyasana are some of the poses I am most excited about.
What I hope to achieve in the second half of 2015
Here are a couple of the most pressing things that have been on my mind that I can’t wait to dive into in the second half of this year.
- Find new ways to deepen my personal yoga practice with more classes, workshops and additional teacher trainings.
- Continue my yoga teaching journey! I hope to continue to substitute classes and find additional opportunities to teach. Eventually, I’d love to have my own regular, weekly class!
- Figure out the next iteration of the 30 Days of Gutsy course. It’s coming back this fall, but I’m still on the fence about if the course’s format is going to change or stay the same.
- I have some exciting ideas around blending my love for yoga with my passion for public relations, blogging, social media and consulting. Stay tuned!
Are you where you thought you’d be six months ago? Let’s keep each other accountable! Go ahead-share your accomplishments and goals in the comments.
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