July 1st is a pretty big deal at my job because it is the start of the fiscal year.
Basically the New Year’s Day of the financial world.
I handle media relations for a large financial institution, so we report how well we did over the past 12-months. The next few weeks will involve calls from reporters asking about our returns and wanting to know what adjustments we will make to have an even stronger fiscal year in 2016-17.
It’s the time when our organization reflects on what went well and implements changes to make things even better.
Now I love the opportunity to reflect and goal set, so this day gives me pause for personal reasons as well. I like to look back at the first six months of 2016 and have gratitude for all the wonderful blessings.
I also like to look forward towards the next six months of the year and plan new ways to make this year one of personal growth and even more joy.
I have to say that so far 2016 has been a huge year of exploration for me.
I came up with the idea for this blog in mid-January, and since then I’ve learned more about websites, blogging, and photography than I could have ever imaged.
I also started really engaging in social media, and I truly enjoy it. Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have brought me new inspiration. I’m grateful to connect with other people through these channels. I feel like my world has become much bigger in such a short time.
Through blogging, I also started trying a ton of new things. Things I would have passed on just a few months ago now peak my interest, because I get excited to try them and then write about it on the blog.
My goal is keep this momentum going through the next six months of 2016, and beyond.
Since the start of summer, I have started doing one new thing a day and tweeting about it from my @Unsippedlife account. Instead of avoiding new things, now I’m actively doing them and consistently looking for new opportunities to fulfill my daily quota.
For health related goals, after the Fourth of July holiday I am going to start the Tone It Up 8-week challenge (I’m a realist, starting this over the holiday weekend seems like unnecessary pain).
Although I’ll be sad to cut back on my beloved sweets, I’m looking forward to aligning my eating habits with good health.
I love cardio, but my eating habits could use a nice reboot.
I’m optimistic that this will fall in nicely with my goal of learning how to cook. In our house, I handle most of the prep work in the kitchen, but my husband is the chef. With this plan, I have a feeling I’ll be experimenting more and more.
I’m also excited to step up my commitment to strength training. I love cardio, but I’m not a big fan of picking up the weights. This lack of balance not only prevents me from having the toned arms I’m on the hunt for, but also can lead to an increased chance of injury.
I’ve mastered the 3 pound weights we use in spin class, so bring on something more!
Of course, no one has any idea how 2016 will finish off. I believe strongly in the idea that we plan and then God laughs. But I also think God is cheering us on when set our goals. Sure, the universe’s plan may take us in a completely different direction, but the power of goal setting AND executing on the life you want is what this human experience is all about.
