August 18, 2009
For many, the end of the summer is a time of transition. Vacation time is ending and workers are returning to work. School-age children are getting ready to go back to school. College students are packing up their cars and heading off to their residence halls.
In many ways, this seems more like the start of the year than does New Year’s Day on January 1. Perhaps that is because the habit of going back to school is instilled in us at a young age and never losses its grip on our minds. I like to think about goals for the next year, or at least the next nine months, when the school year starts. As summer winds down in the northern hemisphere, you might take time to re-assess your goals for 2009 and even extend them out for another year, or until August, 2010.
Here are some questions to ask yourself: Looking back to mid-August, 2008, what have you accomplished? What were the blessings of this past year? What have you learned since then? Looking forward, what would success look like for you in August, 2010? What would you like to accomplish during the coming year? How will you accomplish your goals?
I suggest journaling about those questions during a quiet moment. Take time to congratulate yourself for the territory you’ve covered in the past 12 months, and dream big dreams for the upcoming year! Have fun with this.
All the best,
Kristin
