Can you believe we’re already halfway through 2024 with summer solstice passed? With all the crazy stuff going on in the world, it’s easy to blink and feel like New Year was just yesterday.
I’m probably not alone in having set aspirational resolutions that I didn’t keep. But rather than beat myself up over it, I’ve decided to focus instead on what’s gone well since I set them and think ahead to what I really want to get out of the rest of my year.
Somehow it feels easier to be optimistic and ambitious when the sun is shining! So why not join me in setting some mid-year resolutions?
Hi, I’m Holly - coach, mindfulness facilitator and author of Zestful Zen. I write about self-care, change, personal growth, mindfulness, and purpose. If you like life to be full of zest and energy, complemented by a zen, calm mind, Zestful Zen is the community for you! 💖✨
Get stuck in
Grab a pen and paper (I don’t know about you, but I find “big thinking” about my inner self flows better when I’m physically writing rather than typing).
Or if motion gets you in a better state of flow, find somewhere quiet (a spot of forest bathing, anyone?) and start walking.
Four questions to ask yourself
Thinking back over the last six months, what has made you happiest?
Thinking ahead to the next six months, what do you want more of in your life?
Thinking about now, in the present, what three things could you do that would help get you to where you want to be?
What’s stopping you from getting started?
Let’s dive a little deeper on each of those questions
Thinking back over the last six months, what has made you happiest?
You can ask this question about any (or every) aspect of your life. Maybe it’s immediately obvious what’s made you most happy, or maybe you need to dig a bit.
Try to narrow it down to one area to focus on first (you can always repeat the question set again for another part of your life). Maybe you want to pick the area that matters the most to you (relationships? career?) or an area you find more challenging (finances? work-life balance?)
Tailor the questions to meet your own needs - maybe happiness isn’t a measure that resonates with you. How about “most fulfilled” or “most satisfied with”?
To dive a bit deeper, reflect on why something made you happy/fulfilled/satisfied/insert your measure here.
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Thinking ahead to the next six months, what do you want more of in your life?
Maybe this is more of the things that made it onto your happy list. Or maybe you want something completely different for the next semester.
Think big - what do you really, really want?
Often, our minds focus on pain points and what we don’t want in our lives and frame things in the negative (“I want to stop working long hours”, “I want to fight less with my partner”). If your mind is leaning that way, try and flip the script to more positive language: “I want to finish work at 5pm and enjoy my evenings”, or “I want to have engaging, supportive conversations with my partner”.
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Thinking about now, in the present, what three things could you do that would help get you to where you want to be?
Start from a blank slate and don’t limit your imagination at this stage. Brainstorm as many random ideas as you can before you start narrowing down to what’s practical.
Try and take different perspectives - what ideas would your best friend come up with? Or someone wise who you admire?
What ideas would you have if you knew you couldn’t fail?
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What’s stopping you from getting started?
Maybe it’s something practical, like not having enough time for meditation. But can you think creatively about how to create that space, even if it's just 5 minutes a day of deep breathing?
Maybe you need support from friends, family or a professional with the right expertise.
Or maybe you just need to cut yourself some slack: often we’re our own worst enemies, listening to the inner critic that says “that’s a silly idea, it’ll never work”. Would you talk that way to your friends?
If three things seem unmanageable right now, what’s one thing you could start straight away that would help you move towards what you want?
Sharing is caring and all that…
I asked myself these same questions this morning, thinking about my career. In the spirit of sharing and sparking conversation, here’s what I came up with:
Thinking back over the last six months what has made you happiest? Coaching others to achieve their goals and grow as people has made me happiest and most fulfilled. Getting started on setting up my business has also sparked a new fire of energising creativity that I’m loving.
Thinking ahead to the next six months what do you want more of in your life? I want greater purpose in my life, through helping more people unlock their true potential - whatever their goals - through personal growth, fulfilment, and wellbeing. I want to succeed as a solopreneur and feel that spark of excitement, curiosity and creativity each day as I build my business.
Thinking about now, in the present, what three things could you do that would help get you to where you want to be? I’m building my website and will launch it soon. I’m just getting started with building my community on Substack (thanks for joining me on this journey!) and I’m creating more coaching and mindfulness offers that will serve my future clients.
What’s stopping you from getting started? FEAR! Fear that I won’t make it in business, fear that I’ll struggle financially, fear that I won’t be able to “sell” myself to clients. There’s also the practicalities of not having much cash to invest in my business, trying to squeeze it in alongside a busy day job, and of course learning all the new skills like marketing and selling (eeeek!) But outweighing all that is the fear of regret, that’s driving me to take action. I don’t want to look back in another six months and think “I wish I’d taken that leap…”
So, with that in mind, I’m going all-in on getting to where I want to be come next New Year.
How about you? What dreams do you have for the rest of 2024?
Let’s start a conversation and I hope these questions have been helpful prompts to get your mind exploring what it is that you really, really want, and how you can start getting there.
You’re welcome Neela!
I appreciate the questions, Holly. I intend to double down on my writing and maybe try to pivot away from consulting. It's a big, bold move, and I don't know who I would be without my corporate gigs, but I am willing to find out very soon. Thank you for sharing.
PS pretty soon we will be saying "Happy New Year" again :(