July 2 was Halfway Day, and to celebrate, I’ve been giving gold stars to readers and listeners who have been sharing their progress on their aims on social media.
Progress looks different for everyone. For some people, it might mean checking off items on their “23 for 23 list” in their 2023 Happiness Trifecta. For other people, it might mean regularly going outside for the annual challenge to “Go outside for 23 in ’23.”
It’s important to celebrate our accomplishments—and also to notice what doesn’t work. Halfway Day is a great time to reflect on our aims and to adjust our approach.
Also, because we can all learn from each other, it’s helpful to consider other people’s observations about their progress.
Lessons learned:
As I write about in my book Outer Order, Inner Calm, one way to complete an aim is to abandon it:
- @organisingqueen: “I abandoned one (go outside 23 mins in 2023) because I was swept up in new-year energy. If you know me at all, you’ll know my body does not respond well to being outside (heat headaches and the like)”
To keep going, sometimes we have to allow ourselves to stop:
- Bonnie B.: “My main goal was to paint every day, and to give myself grace if I couldn’t because then I got in a spiral, and it went on for days. So far, I’m doing great!”
It’s easy to focus on the to-do and forget the ta-da—in fact, we should give ourselves credit for what we do:
- @katenack: “I’ve finished 16 out of 23 on my list. I might have gone too easy on myself with my list this year but feels good to be that far along.”
When we find ways to make tasks more fun, more convenient, or more pleasant—for instance, in ways that I explore in my book Life in Five Senses–we’re more likely to stick to them:
- Bailee S.: “I realized I hadn’t been very engaged with my 23 for 23 list, so I reevaluated what I had on it and created a 2023 bingo card instead!”
How are you doing on your aims for 2023? I’ve completed only four of the items on my “23 in 23 list,” but hey, I’ve still got almost six months to go.
