Mid-Year Reset: How to Get S#it Done between Now and the End of the Year, Part 2

Part 1 of Get S#it Done between Now and the End of the Year laid the foundation for our plan over the next six months. In that blog, I covered:

  • Defining what needs to get done (including those Big Dreams on your plate)
  • Chunking your bigger goals into quarterly/monthly/weekly and finally daily action items
  • Finding the time in your schedule
  • Measuring your productivity

 


In this blog, I focus on how to keep motivated throughout the rest of the year and where to look for guidance in advancing your skills and/or getting those Big Goals completed.

Good luck and keep me posted on your progress! 

Seek guidance and inspiration in the office

 

  • Let your boss know that you’re looking to up your skills.

     Giving them a heads-up sends a clear sign that you are a team player who is eager to contribute and that you are open to developing your skills. Keep in mind that getting your boss on your side could open up new opportunities for you.

 

  • Get S#it done between now and the end of the yearFind a mentor.

     Ask at your company if they have a formal mentoring program or find someone through your own efforts. (Take a look at one of my earlier blog posts for advice on how to do this.) I’ve had a mentor for most of my career – none were through a formal program. I hand-picked each person depending on what I needed at that moment in my career journey. I HIGHLY recommend this. 

 

  • Find out about professional development opportunities.

     Make a case to your boss for the time and funding to participate in them. Professional meetings and conferences, in-person courses, online webinars—these are just a few of the many options out there. (And if you see a development or education need among your colleagues or staff, see if you can bring in a speaker or training for onsite sessions to benefit your entire group!)

 

  • Enlist the support of a trusted colleague.

Being able to bounce ideas off someone who isn’t your boss can help you explore possibilities more freely. I typically try to find someone who’s slightly more senior to me as they can give aspiration guidance.

 

Seek guidance and inspiration for your personal goals too

 

  • Enlist an accountability coach.

     As a coach myself (although in leadership), I know the value of finding an outside party to help with accountability. I find myself in need now. In early 2021, I started my third book – this one a fiction story that’s been rolling around in my head for a while. My mom passed away unexpectedly at the end of March 2021 and I have to admit, I’ve been unmotivated to pick up the writing again. I’m hiring a coach to help hold me accountable as I get back in the swing of things. I followed this same plan for my previous two books and BOOM – two books in print!

 

  • Learn from the pros.

There’s no shortage of folks who are happy to share their success stories in published books (check out your local library!) and in online media (blogs, social media, YouTube, etc.). I was gifted a MasterClass session with Thomas Keller (the famed chef from French Laundry in Napa Valley and Per Se in NY) and WOW was that fun! Of course, there is ZERO that guy made online that I could make it home, but it was fun watching him put it together! I thought I would try a couple writing courses as well (their line-up is pretty fierce including Dan Brown, Shonda Rhimes and Aaron Sorkin just to name a few!).

 

  • Get s#it done between now and the end of the yearAttend an in-person conference on your personal passions and goals.

    Attending a conference is pretty standard in our professional lives, but have you ever taken the time to immerse yourself in a conference on a topic that you love (that has nothing to do with work)?!?! I just went to my first retreat in May of this year and let me tell you, it was life- changing! I highly recommend it! Give the same care, consideration and time(!) to your personal goals that you afford to your professional goals!

 

As you look to others for advice, don’t undermine yourself. You should give credit where it’s due—and that includes to yourself. Remember, your accomplishments and growth have created the path that you’re on right now!  

 

Get in the right frame of mind

 

  • Think positive. 

The power of positive thinking is real! If you find yourself full of doubt and uncertainty, remind yourself that you can do it!

 

  • Get s#it done between now and the end of the yearCelebrate successes.

This is really important for our employees as well as for ourselves! Publicly congratulating an employee when their hard work pays off not only increases their engagement (and retention) but also can have a ripple effect among their colleagues and improve overall morale. And don’t forget to appreciate your own accomplishments, too! I don’t think any of us celebrate enough. Instead, we just move on to the next project. SLOW DOWN for just a second and congratulate yourself on getting stuff done! Little things – big things, if we don’t recognize success, we become immune to it and then we’re in this never-ending cycle of not quite being happy.

 

What is your favorite way to celebrate a Win (big OR small)?!?!?

 

  • Don’t burn yourself out.

Take breaks when you need them: vacations, massages, spa days, Netflix binge days—whatever will let you take a step back from your work and recharge your batteries. Recognize that your employees need breaks, too!

 

Remember that your employees, your colleagues, and your bosses are human, which means they’re all constantly dealing with their own challenges and feelings. Do your best to relate to other people with compassion and understanding. Oh, and that same empathy you give to others, turn it on yourself when you start beating yourself up for not quite being perfect.

 

  • Focus on mental and physical health. 

Many people have struggled to cope with the stress of the past few years and have fallen into unhealthy eating, sleep, and exercise habits during that time. Support staff who seek to help to improve their mental or physical well-being. (And don’t neglect yourself, too!)

 

Keep the big picture in mind

 

  • get s#it done between now and the end of the yearPeriodically (say, weekly and monthly) assess your wins and your shortcomings.

Which events and accomplishments do you feel really good about? Which ones do you wish had gone differently? No need to be too harsh on yourself: your goal here isn’t to engage in self-flagellation but to identify where course correction might be needed.

 

No one wants to be a simple cog in a wheel, so be sure that you are engaged in work that holds some meaning for you.

 

  • Start creating your own “30 ways” list.

As the saying goes, “Your mileage may vary,” so use the list I’ve presented here as a template and make adjustments as needed.

 

In my first post in this series, I promised to provide a list of ideas to “get s#it done between now and the end of the year.” I hope you find plenty here to make you feel sufficiently (but appropriately!) kicked—and inspired, motivated, and enthusiastic about your path forward. If there’s anything that you think should be on this list but isn’t, please share it in the comments below!

Need more inspiration?

Check out these two blogs I wrote pre-pandemic for helpful daily reminders:   Meanwhile, what’s on YOUR mind?!?! What would you like me to talk about in an upcoming blog? Share here and I’ll take a peek! Thanks as always for checking out my blog!    

30 DAYS/30 WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS

30 DAYS/30 WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS (PART 2)

Meanwhile, what’s on YOUR mind?!?! What would you like me to talk about in an upcoming
blog? Share here and I’ll take a peek!


Thanks as always for checking out my blog!

 

 

 

1 thought on “Mid-Year Reset: How to Get S#it Done between Now and the End of the Year, Part 2”

  1. Thank you, Val! Love your offering of support and pathway for finding out what is possible when we apply pressure over time.
    Some of what I’ve learned from my experience with writing a book, several unexpected deaths of loved ones, and the reality that news is often triggering both by content and by design: 1) Sanctuary – where I write is sacred space and every choice I make from boundaries to how the chair feels, the lighting, textures, smells, sounds, and rituals that I do to go into and exit from my writing – these choices play a big part in how well I am keeping with a schedule 2) Grief – I need to stop and be with the feels and with others, I add photos or items to my ancestral alter, and I have a place in nature where I leave a rock, write a name in the beach sand, or burn the ends of used candles as I grieve. I invite others to share their grief and I ask for ancestors to help me learn how to come into my crone and the work of a healer 3) Community – I write so much better when I am regularly talking shop and celebrating the work of writers. I love to hear/read works in progress and trainings in anti-racist practices for workshops has taught me how to honor and set boundaries around what is invited and not invited to share with an author about their work 4) Collection of Compliments – I keep the folder of what people say to me or write to me that feels good. Knowing that this collection exists goes a long way in pushing back on the inner gremlins that are there to take away my power and block my book from getting out of my head and into its pages 5) Gratitude practice – every day, I am grateful. I name my gratitude during meals and before bed. It helps a great deal. 6) Nature – the more I am reminded of my kinship with all living beings, the more capable I feel 7) Ancestors – it’s like my version of the blog in this gives me accountability. My ancestors by blood and my queer ancestors are my fan club and they want to see me further the healing work that repairs their shortcomings and honors their struggle. 8) Meditation – the UCLA meditation on love and kindness is a quick way to guide me out of fight-flight-freeze and back into the parts of my brain that help me be my best self, it prepares me for difficult conversations, and it helps me take pause and reflect on my implicit bias before I take actions that have great impact on others 9) Introvert/Extravert caretaking – this introvert knows better than to have a social before a big writing session. I space out my planned time with friends and I make sure those times are between just a few people at a time so that we can go deep in rich conversation (otherwise I spend the whole time wondering if I am making the right face).

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