I absolutely love October! The pumpkins, hayrides, fall colors, and the cooler days engage my senses and bring a feeling of life and celebration. I’m especially looking forward to enjoying this with my two year old grandson, but let me not digress! October is a clear change of seasons. And as we step into the last quarter of the year it’s also a signal to step back and plan on how to finish the year well.

The Issue:

To finish the year well you have to be strategic. Too often we are so busy that we don’t stop to be strategic. We get caught up in the inertia of busyness or stuck in the rut of routine. We allow urgency and distractions to become the enemy of the best. Zig Ziglar said, “You can’t hit a target you cannot see, and you cannot see a target you do not have.” Unless you pause and evaluate your targets for the rest of the year you will keep getting the results you’ve been getting.

Let’s Unpack This:

Early October is a great time to pause, reflect and plan. This pause can be just 2-3 hours, but it will make a huge difference on the results you get by year’s end. Think of it as a “rest stop” on the journey of 2021. So, what do you do in the pause? First, look at what the year has been like and celebrate your progress. How have you progressed in your goals around career, mindset, physical, spiritual and relational health? You may not be where you want to be, but you are probably further than where you were at the beginning of the year. So be sure to acknowledge your hard work, diligence and affirm yourself! Second, consider where you are going. What targets do you want to set for the rest of the year? Be realistic, but also stretch yourself. Imagine it’s December 31, what will you want to say about your career, mindset, physical, spiritual and relational health?

What About You?

So how about you? Are you happy with the results of 2021 in your life so far? What is your plan to finish 2021 well? It is very hard to make progress on your own so I encourage you to get accountability for finishing well through working with a coach or by jumping into a mastermind group.

I’d love to hear your plan and goals. Perhaps you have a great idea that will benefit readers so leave a comment below. If  you’d like to explore this topic or get the accountability and support you need to finish well, please schedule a 15-minute call and we can explore this together.