Six months from today, it will all be over, and it will all be just beginning, too. The ball in Times Square will have dropped. The singing of Auld Lang Syne will have concluded. 2018 will have been put to rest. And so will begin 2019 and all that it holds.
New Year’s Day remains one of my favorite holidays. While every single day, or moment for that matter, represents the chance to start anew, January 1st represents the day when the entire world starts over collectively. There usually is some sense of excitement or anticipation for what the upcoming year will bring, and for most of us, those initial feelings start to fade rather quickly. On July 1st, where we are and how we feel can be worlds away from where we were and how we felt on January 1st.
At times, by this point in the current year, my best intentions have been long forgotten, and I have thrown in the towel and decided to wait for another year to try again. Some years started out with high hopes that were dashed along the way, and I wanted to fast forward through the rest of the year (I’m looking at you, 2011, 2015, and 2016) to arrive at what I hoped would be a better new year. Other years, I have had varying degrees of success in keeping my resolutions and reaching my goals, and I plow ahead with either conviction or on autopilot.
When I set my intentions for 2018, I did so based on one word. Meaningful. My goals were to create and sustain a meaningful career, a meaningful relationship, and a meaningful life. Those were my intentions on January 1st, and they still are my intentions on July 1st. I have not been abandoned them or switched to autopilot, and I have made some progress and experienced some setbacks. Here’s my halftime report for each of my intentions:
Create and sustain a meaningful career. I decided to explore career opportunities that would allow me to fully use my education, professional experience, interests, and skills to find a new job. I updated my resume, networked, and researched job openings. Just a few months into the new year, my persistence and patience paid off in the form of a new position. I accepted the offer, but I am not resting on my laurels. As I continue to learn the nuances of this position, I also am looking for ways to make the work I do each day more meaningful, in both content and context.
Create and sustain a meaningful relationship. The status of this intention is difficult to explain for a number of reasons, other than to use the cliché, it’s complicated. That said, I continue to learn about myself and about relationships, and even though I am not sure what will transpire over the next six months, I am sure of a few things. I am grateful for my big heart and my ability to be vulnerable with others, and I know my worth and what I have to offer. . .finally.
Create and sustain a meaningful life. This final intention will be a lifelong one, as my life will continue to change from year to year, and always will be a work in progress. I have been focusing on consciously choosing to spend time with people I love, doing things I enjoy, trying new opportunities, and doing what I can to do something meaningful for others and the world at large. I have made lots of progress in this area, and I am looking forward to many more opportunities to grow and learn.
So, as I commemorate the first half of 2018, I am not ready to declare a do over or sit on the sidelines until 2019 arrives. I am ready to build on the progress I have made, to learn from my missteps, and to accept, not fear or resist, the uncertainty. Are you ready for the rest of the year? Ready or not, here it comes!
That’s another story . . .
Categories: That's Another Story
That's Another Story 
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