A Fresh Start

A funny thing happened.

Somewhere between New Year’s optimism and summer vacations… it became Week 31.

But here’s a fun wrinkle in time for you: this year has 53 weeks, not the usual 52.

Which means Week 31 isn’t just past the midpoint. There are still 22 weeks left to work with.

That’s not a small number.

I don’t know about you, but this year has felt full.

Good full. Challenging full. Full of things I planned to accomplish.

The calendar kept moving whether we were paying attention or not.

Maybe like me, you started the year with ambitious goals. Maybe you chose a word for the year. Maybe you swore this would be the year you delegated more, exercised more, worked less, or finally tackled that thing that’s been sitting on the back burner.

Or maybe life simply unfolded.

But Week 31 offers something we don’t get very often. A natural invitation to look up and simply notice where you are, without turning it into a performance review.

What I Noticed

This month, I shared something honest with a peer group I facilitate.

I wrote about what I was happy about this year, and the habits that actually made those things possible. Then I wrote about what had stalled: getting my program in front of the people who need it.

The convenient reason was I hadn’t found the right marketing approach yet. The real reason was I’d been leaning on grit, doing it myself, doing it slower, instead of finding people to help me.

That part was harder to write. It’s also the part that mattered.

Because once I could see the real reason clearly, I could stop managing around it and stop mistaking grit for progress.

Here is my midyear commitment: I will take bigger swings at things that scare me, AND ask for help when I get stuck instead of muscling through alone.

My assessment of where I am didn’t change anything by itself. But it changed what I’m willing to do next.

A Fresh Start

In grade school, sometimes my son would have a bad day. His teacher would help him repair whatever happened. Then she’d give him the gift of a fresh start.

I loved it. What a generous offering. I know how much it helped him move forward.

Turns out there’s real research behind that instinct. Katy Milkman and her colleagues found that any clear marker on the calendar can work the same way January 1st does.

Set down what didn’t work and look forward without dragging the weight of it with you.

Which is good news, because July is usually the slow stretch. January’s push has worn off. Fall hasn’t shown up yet to nudge you.

So if you haven’t looked up in a while, you’re right on schedule.

Week 31 can be your fresh start.

What does that look like?

If you can steal ten quiet minutes this week, sit with these:

• What’s been getting most of my energy lately?
• If the next 22 weeks looked a lot like the last 31, how would I feel at the end of the year?
• What’s one small adjustment that Future Me would be grateful I made now instead of waiting until January?

Notice I didn’t ask about your goals.

And notice the fresh start comes after the repair. Name what went sideways and figure out what to do about it. That’s the order that actually works.

You need one honest look, and one thoughtful adjustment, while you’ve still got runway to enjoy the impact.

My gift to you this week is a fresh start. How will you use it?

Laurie