The end of the month is a great time to pause, reflect, and reset as the page turns to the next one and this month as we conclude the first half of the year it offers a unique opportunity look to July with hopefully a little more clarity, ownership, and renewed momentum.
You can’t really leap forward unless you know what you’re leaping from. That’s what this article is about, using reflection as fuel and taking a hard, honest look at what the last 6 months have taught you. What worked. What didn’t. What needs to be carried forward AND what needs to be left behind.
There’s a difference between movement and progress. Some people stay busy year-round but don’t grow. Why? Because they never stop to evaluate. Reflection allows us to spot patterns (positive or negative), celebrate growth you may not have noticed, learn from mistakes so you don’t repeat them and reconnect with your original vision of what you wanted to achieve or how you wanted to live. This isn’t just journaling fluff, it’s mental strength training and it’s how high performers stay in control of their path.
One of the fitness pros I follow is Todd Durkin, owner of Fitness Quest 10 out in San Diego. He’s been around the fitness space for over a couple of decades and some of the main reflective habits that I have been practicing for the past 10 years have come directly from him, specifically his WLAG’s, his 3 in 30, and his 90-day Wonder. I look to work through these every Sunday before I begin the next week.
- WLAG’s are a 7-day reflection covering your Wins, Losses, Aha moments, and Goals for the next 7 days.
- 3 in 30 refers to identifying 3 things across a variety of areas in your life (Health, Personal, Professional, Spiritual etc) that you want to achieve in the next 30 days.
- 90-day Wonder refers to a reflection of what you have accomplished over the past 90-days; what your current issues and obstacles are; and what your goals will be over the next 90-days.
All of the above are short reflection habits and a great way to reset each and allow you to continue to be pointed in the right direction. Let me preface it though, it’s not always rosy, and some weeks, months, and quarters don’t even come close to what you have planned, but that’s the value of this practice, you continue to strive toward something, and look to grow.
The key to using techniques such as these, is to truly self-reflect. It is hard to be honest with yourself.
Without judgment, using just data, how have the past 6 months gone for you?
- Did you follow through on the goals you set?
- What habits got stronger? What ones slipped?
- Were you consistent in your workouts? Your nutrition? Your mindset work?
- Where did you surprise yourself? Where did you let yourself down?
Write it down. Whatever works, but don’t let it live in your head, put it on paper where it gets real.
We’re wired to spot what went wrong. But to leap forward, we’ve got to spotlight what went right. Wins aren’t always loud. Sometimes they’re quiet, consistent choices that add up to a massive shift over time.
Now we have to ask the toughest question, “If I keep doing what I did in June… will I get where I want to go?”
If the answer is “yes”, we keep going.
If it’s “no” or “maybe” then you’ve HAVE to change something.
Looking back isn’t a weakness. It’s not about dwelling on the past, it’s about collecting data to formulate a plan for moving forward. The more clearly you understand your past month or 6, the more confidently you can create, plan and the act throughout your next 6.
So here’s your call to action, let the first half of the year teach you something. Then use it to become the version of yourself the 2nd half is waiting for.
Dr. Dan Dodd is an Exercise Science and Nutrition Coach and is an avid writer on Nutrition, Fitness, Metabolism and Body Composition. If you’d like to receive more stories, subscribe to get access to these and more.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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The post Look Back to Leap Forward: What the First Half of the Year Has Taught You appeared first on The Good Men Project.