Resetting Your Focus
A new calendar year tends to spark a sense of passion and urgency in you. With intense passion, you fire up your notes app, grab your planner, and start mapping out your takeover plan for the year, convincing yourself that this year of all years will finally be different.
You’ll finally stick to your gym routine. You’ll finally start that business. You’ll finally spend consistency time in the Word. After all, you have 12 months to develop into a better version of you, right?
But yet, New Year’s goals and resolutions have a hard time actually sticking. 80% of us fail to make it to the second week of February before going back to old habits and ways of thinking, according to U.S. News & World Report. Some don’t even make it to the end of January before rolling those goals over to the next year.
Maybe you made it past the two-month mark or maybe you didn’t, but by the time summer rolls around your optimism and passionate pursuit of your goals has probably died. Well, that’s typical. According to experts, mid-year burnout is actually a thing. As the last few weeks of August arrive, anxiety creeps in, and you start to wonder, “How are we already more than halfway through the year, and how can I possibly achieve everything I want to with so little time to go?”
Girl, if that’s you, I have good news for you: Goals don’t have an expiration date. That’s right. Anytime is a good time to recommit to your goals. Can we get rid of this fixed mindset that we need to wait until January to reset? Let’s reset, recommit, and refocus now. Here are three tips to help you refocus:
Think About December You.
Imagine yourself on New Year’s Eve morning, December 31st. You wake up looking back at the year and all the things that it held. What are the things that you’ve done? What things has God done through you? What have you accomplished? And who do you need to become today to accomplish those things? Visualizing your future self puts your present self and actions into perspective. Who do you need to become and what do you need to do now to become who you want to be later?
Reconnect to Your Why
We lose focus when we lose sight of our why. Go back to the beginning of the year when you set your goals. Why did you get started in the first place? Why did those goals matter to you? What were you wanting to accomplish? And who would those accomplishments better your life and the lives of those around you? We increase our chances of reaching our goals when they are rooted in purpose rather than guilt and shame. Connect to the heart of your why to realign your focus.
Find Accountability.
Did you know that you can increase the chances of reaching your goals by 65% by having accountability and by 95% when you’re having regular meetings with them? The best way to stay focused and in action is to find someone to hold you accountable. Not only will accountability remind you of why you got started, but accountability will also make sure that you finish. Some sources of accountability can be a pastor, mentor, coach, or a trusted friend or family member. Find someone who is invested and committed to your purpose, process, and goals.
Don’t let another year go by where your goals fall by the wayside. It’s time to reset and renew your focus! Learn how you can refresh your goals, redesign your rhythms and routines, and reset your focus so you can finish the year strong in the Refresh, Reset, Refocus Guide.
