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What were your life turning points?
🎼 📖 Read Intellego #025 by listening to:
Watershed Moments
There are moments that mark our lives forever. The first day at school, the first kiss, that friends gathering, the first night out, graduation, birthday or death of a beloved one.
As an old song says, it’s funny how time slips away.
We’re six months in 2025. When I release this article, week 26 of 2024 will be already gone. Like a blink of an eye, months passed by.
It’s time to a mid-year review and consider everything you’ve achieved so far.
How were your last six months? What did you do with your time? I believe very few people ask themselves these questions.
So, how did it go for you? Did you have fun? Were there more accomplishments or more failures? No shame, both are equally important to your growth.
I only ask you one thing: Be honest. You don’t need to share any details with anyone. It’s enough if you answer these questions to yourself.
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
After this exercise, analyze the progress of your short-term and long-term goals. I’m sure you have some. I’ll help you out with a couple of questions:
Did you reach any milestones, career goals or life goals?
Did you land that new job, get a promotion or make more money?
Did you make a dream come true or ask someone out, even if you’re afraid?
Did you write that message… have that difficult conversation... heal that relationship… reach that financial goal… lose that extra weight… or complete that important project?
If you did any of these, congratulations! But here is the most important aspect of all.
Are you happy with your accomplishments?
Do you feel satisfied with your journey?
What were your biggest learning from the past six months?
Again, keep the answers to yourself. Let them simmer a bit. As cooking in low fire, the process of transformation requires time.
What’s next? Well, I don’t know. But I encourage you to brainstorm further:
How can you take the best out of the next 26 weeks?
What’s important to you? Health, family, work, relationships…?
What really moves you? Learning new things, helping others…?
I don’t have answers for you. You’re the only one who can solve this puzzle.
Take the time to reflection your progress and consider everything that happened to you so far.
You will realize you accomplished more than you imagined. If this is not the case, it’s the perfect time to adjust the route.
"The path to success is to take massive, determined action."
Work in Progress
Your past six months came with its unique set of challenges and triumphs. Reflecting on this time can provide valuable insights into your growth and areas needing improvement.
Among several coaching tools, I particularly like the wheel of life approach. It helps me to evaluate multiple areas of my life.
It includes categories such as career, spirituality, money, education, health, relationships, personal growth, fun & recreation, and contribution to society.
The wheel of life serves as a valuable tool to foster and guide reflection, helping us to evaluate different aspects of our lives and ensuring a balanced and fulfilling journey.
For the self-development fans out there, it’s a rewarding process. And you can take this assessment anytime - quarterly, bi-annually or annually.
Start by reviewing your achievements. Did you meet any goals? Were there specific activities that you excelled in or struggled with?
And keep asking questions...
How did you balance your work with personal relationships, health, and hobbies? Did you maintain a healthy lifestyle, or were there times when stress took its toll?
A comprehensive review will highlight your strengths and pinpoint areas that require more attention. That’s the beauty of this method.
“Everything you do is triggered by an emotion of either desire or fear.”
Ponder
Assess victories and obstacles. Reflecting on your accomplishments is essential for building confidence and motivation.
Celebrate your successes, whether they are professional, personal milestones, or improvements in your well-being. Acknowledge the effort and dedication that went into reaching these goals.
It’s also important to recognize the roadblocks you encountered. Were there unexpected challenges that hindered your progress?
Perhaps there were moments of procrastination, unforeseen personal issues, or difficulties in understanding certain subjects. Identifying these obstacles is the first step towards overcoming them in the future.
Journal
Writing is a powerful tool for reflection and personal growth. Take some time to journal about your experiences. Describe your emotions, the highs and lows, write down thoughts and the lessons learned.
Journaling is therapeutic. It allows you to process your thoughts and feelings, providing clarity and perspective.
It’s a safe space to be honest with yourself about what went well and what didn’t, and it can help in developing strategies for improvement.
Inquire
Asking yourself thought-provoking questions can deepen your reflection and provide actionable insights. Consider questions like:
What were my biggest achievements this semester?
What challenges did you face, and how did you handle them?
What did you learn about yourself?
How did you manage time and stress levels?
Were there any missed opportunities, and what can you do differently next time?
How did you contribute to your community or help others?
What are you most proud of?
These questions encourage introspection and can reveal patterns in your behavior and decision-making processes. As I wrote in edition 024, our commitments tell a lot about ourselves.
“It's not how far you fall but how high you bounce that counts.”
Have Goals
Based on your reflections, it might be time to adjust or set new goals for the next semester. These goals can be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Whether it’s improving your performance, developing better food habits, or enhancing your physical health, clearly defined goals will provide direction and motivation.
If you struggled with time management, a goal might be to create and stick to a weekly schedule.
If maintaining relationships was challenging, a goal could be to dedicate more time to social activities or communicate more regularly with friends and family.
Advance
Constancy and persistence are keys to success. As you set new goals, remember that continuous effort and resilience are essential.
There will be times when progress feels slow or obstacles seem insuperable, but pushing forward is crucial. Use your past months' experiences as lessons and motivation to keep moving towards your objectives.
Stay adaptable and open to change. Life is dynamic and sometimes plans need to be adjusted. What’s important is maintaining a forward momentum, even if the path changes along the way.
Celebrate
Don’t forget to celebrate your progress. Recognize and reward yourself for the hard work and dedication you’ve shown. You made it happen!
Celebrations don’t have to be grand; they can be small acts of self-care or moments of joy shared with loved ones.
Celebrating achievements reinforces positive behavior and boosts morale, making the journey more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Take this time of the year to review and adjust your goals. It’s an opportunity to reflect on personal growth, assess aspects of life, and plan for future success.
The wheel of life helps you to prioritize areas of your life. It's a guide that provides a balanced approach, considering not just performance but overall well-being. It's just one example of the wide spectrum of coaching tools available.
By implementing these steps, we can expect a fulfilling and productive journey. I wish you a successful rest of the year ahead!
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
Talk to you next week.
Light and peace,
—FMV
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