The Six-Month Challenge
The choice is yours – what will be your 2020 story?
If the above question feels like it belongs at the end of this post, you’re correct. I am 100% intentionally starting with the ending. Keep reading to understand why.
In the last few weeks, conversations with clients, friends and family have elicited a similar theme in sentiment about 2020 – it’s a really bad year…perhaps the worst year ever. While there are many reasons this year may fall to the absolute bottom of our list, I find it interesting (albeit understandable) that we have already decided its place on the leaderboard with half a year left. If we have the power to decide it’s ending at the mid-point, wouldn’t it be preferable to craft a better ending?
Even though the first six months put a significant filter on our view, I am curious how the remaining half of the year might be used in a way that has you jogging to the finish line on December 31 with your head held high and hands raised to the sky. The choice is up to you, and you have nearly six months left to make it happen.
Let’s be clear, I am not talking about identifying silver linings. There have been many, and we certainly want to fix our gaze to continue seeing the good. We know from Positive Psychology research that identifying “what’s good” and “what works” has a significant impact on our emotional health and life/work satisfaction. While I am a big proponent of looking for the good, I am talking about being proactive and creating the good – not just observing what’s right. In short: what can you proactively do to make this year better than what you may have already deemed it could be? How are you proactively crafting your 2020 story?
When working with clients, I often ask “what if you replace the word ‘or’ with ‘and’?”. In this case, what would it look like for this year to be the worst in some (or many) ways AND the year that you made a difference or progressed in one or more areas? What if this is the year that you STOPPED doing something that no longer serves you and STARTED doing something that serves you well? What if this is the year that you broadened your perspective on one or more issues?
This could be your biggest transformational year to date – do you really want to give up now?
Given that we have six months left in 2020, how can you proactively write the narrative you desire by year end? How do you want to reflect on your contributions to your life and the world around you by the time the ball drops and 2021 FINALLY arrives?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. What support do I need to bring out the best in me for the next six months (and beyond)?
2. What small change will I make during the next six months that will create the greatest impact?
3. What one thing will I commit to doing for the next six months so that 2020 has a positive plot twist?
If you are ready to shift your perspective, it’s game time. Designate time today to create specific and actionable goals around your answers to the above questions. Imagine how much better you will feel at the finish line, knowing you leveraged your zone of control to make it a better year.
With half the year remaining, there is no limit to what’s possible. The choice is yours – what will be your 2020 story?
