Tag: Goals

Having Fun the Second Half of 2020

Has your state opened back up? I live in Michigan and there are different parts of the state that are beginning to open. I have to admit it, there is a part of me that is excited about being able to do things again, but there is also a part that is cautious about taking my children out. I think that there is a natural part of this. We’ve been quarantined for so long that just getting back to some normal things that we used to do is going to take time. 

The second half of the year is going to be interesting. What will you do? Are there events that you want to make up for? Missed birthdays, events, and get-togethers will be prevalent. It could be a rush to try and get everything in that we missed in this second half of 2020. 

  • What I Want 

How will you plan the second half of this year? For me, the biggest couple of things that I want to do with the rest of this year is to take a family vacation and then plan something for my anniversary. 

This is something that my wife and I are currently discussing. It’s a balancing act that we’re working on. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to planning trips for the second half of the year. 

 

  • How comfortable are you?

This has to do with your comfort on a number of different levels. If you spend any amount of time on social media you will see people all over the place on coronavirus and whether or not they should wear a mask. When it comes to taking your family out and planning a vacation, you have to know what your level of comfort is. 

  • What is open in terms of what you’re trying to do

After you know how comfortable you are, you then have to know what’s open and how they are operating. For example, we were planning on having a day for our kids and taking them to a Legoland that was about an hour or so away. They had discounted tickets because they just opened back up. The problem, it’s basically reservation only now and it was going to be mid-September before we could get in. 

  • Do you have the time?

If you’ve gone back to work it can seem like everyone is going to take their vacations all at the same time. It’s a balancing act that a lot of businesses are having to do. Starting the business back, getting revenue-generating again, needing workers to use some vacation time, but also need people to work. There are a lot of aspects to business and people going back to work. 

Discussion Question:

What are you planning for the second half of the year?

Taking Advantage of The Time

Great Opportunity is only as good as your preparation to take advantage of it.- Tom Black

 

In times of crises, your character really does speak louder than your words. Are you the type of person that is fighting in the stores, or someone who is trying to help his fellow neighbor? Now more than ever your actions tell on you.

Life Assessment
Morning Routine

Our attitudes determine a lot of how we view the world. It’s amazing how two people can see the same situation differently. Think of all the situations where you and your spouse see the same thing but differently.  

Our attitudes determine our outlook Click To Tweet

How are you viewing this time of COVID-19? Going stir crazy? Are you frustrated with trying to work from home? There is a way that you can make the most out of this time. 

 

  1. Set a Goal

 

Don’t think of this as some concrete, must be done type of thing. Instead, approach this as a motivation for your day. So whether it is work-related, reading a book, starting your side hustle, it doesn’t matter. You want to be able to set something out in front of you for your day. 

Goals are great just as a daily motivation. Most of us are either working from home or we are on temporary leave from work. It helps to ensure that we’re not just laying around in our sweatpants watching Netflix all day. 

 

  1. Encourage Yourself

 

There is something that can just happen to you when you spend all your time in one area. While there may be work to do or plenty of at home work projects, the fact of being contained can take its toll. 

It can be easy to fall into a rut and feel like the world is crashing in on you. This is the feeling that you’re fighting against. 

Encouraging yourself is mandatory during this time. If you’re like me, you took for granted the positive impact that being around other human beings has. Now they are longing for contact and connection with other human beings. 

Without being able to have that person to person contact, there is a greater need for us to find ways to keep ourselves encouraged. 

Have some extra prayer time, find some encouraging music. Laughter is also what will keep your spirit up. Whatever you need to keep yourself encouraged, this is the time to begin to surround yourself with that. 

 

  1. Read, Read, Read

 

So many people do not read books. There are so many different genres out there. Try a couple of different books. Don’t feel bad if you start a book and don’t finish it, just move on to a different genre and see if you like that type. There are plenty of options out there’s enough  if you’re not able to make it to a library. 

 

  • Audio-books – there are plenty of options outside of Audible. Most of them have a free trial period so try different ones and see what you like. 
  • Library Access – you may not be able to physically go to a library, but many of them have electronic services that will  offer eBooks and movies etc.
  • YouTube – don’t binge random videos, try learning a new skill 

 

Discussion Question:

How are you taking advantage of your time?

Don’t make Resolutions in 2020

This is that time of year. You know,when every professional, influencer, and guru is going to try to sell you on why you need their program to make next year better. 

I understand that they all have a product that they believe in and that they want to get into the world. What all these Black Friday sales and End of Year Sales don’t tell you is that their product won’t help you. It won’t make your life different. You are the difference maker in your own life. 

It’s a New Year

The other day I was talking with my wife and realized something about myself. I have paid good, hard earned money on multiple writing courses. All with the promise of helping me become a better writer. What has actually happened, I have yet to finish any course all the way through. Have these courses done what they promised they would? I can’t truly answer that because I haven’t done the work needed. 

This is why we shouldn’t just buy all these products and services. Will they do what they say? Maybe. What it really comes down to is ourself. New Year’s Resolutions are a waste of time. Think of the last time that you made one and it actually made a difference that year. 

 

  1. Don’t make Resolutions, Make Changes

 

Many resolutions don’t stick through February because we make them out to be our wish list. We want to lose weight, we want to make more money, we want to spend more time with friends. All of those are wish list items. 

What we should be focusing on are developing better habits and skills that will benefit us. Resolutions are like wishes because we don’t really attach ourselves to those things. 

 

  1. Habits and Skills are better than Wishes

 

Instead of looking to make a New Years Resolution, this year I am going to focus on myself. For example I’ve been working on eating better, getting in better shape and taking care of my physical body better. So instead of making a resolution to lose weight, or to hit a certain number, I’m going to work on developing discipline to work out consistently. I’ll continue to eat better and developing 

 

  1. The Why is just as important as the What

 

Each year we make resolutions only to see them fall by the wayside by February and by April they are a distant memory. We’ve talked about why we should make changes and not resolutions, and why habits and skills are better than wishes. What lies behind all of those are the why. 

Why are looking to make these changes is just as important as what we are looking to change. Your why is your greatest driving factor. It is what will keep you going when things are tough, and when you want to give up on changing for the better. 

 

Discussion Question:

What motivates the changes you want to see in your life?