I looked out my front window this morning and thought, “Wow, six months ago it was New Years Day!” As I continued to ponder that moment a few more times in my pre-coffeed brain, I realized that the first of July could be as equally as productive as the first of January! Every new day, every new month, and heck — every Monday — can be a start-from-fresh-with-no-mistakes-in-it kind of day. We just need to rewire our brains that everyday is brand spankin’ new.
Of course as I perused through two of my social media sites I see that people are now making July into a verb: July-ing. I have also seen a meme or two about July 1st as a new Month and Monday all wrapped in one. Great! Keep up the good work you smart people!
Instead of calling it July-ing, I want to buck that newish trend and just embrace it as I would see it: The July Effect. For in my little mindset, July is a month that represents all that I love… summer vacation, hot weather, swimming pools, BBQ parties, fireworks, staying up late and sleeping in, and running around in bare feet (as long as I am indoors).
The July Effect is also a time to look back at the past six months and re-evaluate the year so far. Did I keep any resolutions? Did I accomplish any goals? Did I improve and better my life? Even if I didn’t keep a resolution, or accomplish a specific goal, I know that I honestly put forth the effort to better my life.
How?
Well, I made smaller, daily goals. Whether I made the time to take my 2-mile power walk, or eat clean (high protein, lower carb, not processed if possible), read my positive affirmations, write in my journal, get my spiritual fix through great authors, or just REST, I hit many of those smaller goals.
And, I will continue with those small doses.
They say that in order to eat an elephant, you need to take one bite at a time. Well, I am not in the mood to eat an elephant, literally or metaphorically, so I have chosen the less traveled, backroads path of small bites, small steps, small motions forward.
And that’s the KEY… moving forward, even if it is at a snail’s pace.
A sweet friend reminded me recently that both the turtle and the hare finished the race. So it doesn’t matter how fast you go, your consistency is the KEY. Daily, small, incremental steps.
So, I encourage you today to embrace the July Effect with promise and positivity. Reflect on the past six months, but don’t let it discourage you in any way. Refocus your goals for today and through December 31st, but don’t let them overwhelm you. And lastly, Resume your speed in moving forward. You got this. I got this. Together, we are making LIFE happen.
Becoming Process Driven 