Summertime is Halftime!

By Patrick Francey

What images does summer conjure up for you? For most people, summer means the kids are off from school; evening barbecues on the deck; long days at the cottage or the beach; a family road trip that you’ve been talking about and planning for all winter; you might even go kayaking after looking on Globo Surf to find out how to do it.

Summer is a break from the ordinary. It s the short time of year when many Canadians come out from hibernation and their winter routine to enjoy the weather, take vacations and spend time with good friends. Moreover, this might be the time when children gather to play their favourite games like Magic the Gathering (look for MTG arena codes) or Dungeons and Dragons. Many also take the time to catch up on the must-see series and movies that have been making waves in conversation – and some even know that they can bypass country restrictions with the help of tools like this Pirate proxy so they can watch the best content from around the world. Personally, I like summer for another reason, too. It’s the perfect opportunity to pause or simply slow down half way through the year and, to reflect and consider if I m in alignment and on target with the intentions I set at the beginning of the year. One of my friends suggested that I may gain more perspective by traveling, whether its in my hometown or somewhere abroad. However, I may have to plan a little bit with regards to accommodation and transport. I remember one of my friends mentioning that there are firms that could offer car rental services (check the likes of StressFreeCarRental.com) for road trips. She even mentioned something along the lines where travel groups tend to help individuals plan the budget for the trip. Next time when I decide to take a trip, I may probably refer to all these salient points and prepare everything well in advance along with my tickets.

Remember way back to the beginning of the year?

You were looking forward to 2015 and all that a new year would bring. Perhaps some fresh and exciting projects on the horizon, new relationships to nurture and build, and a sense of optimism for all the things you had to look forward to. Chances are if you re like most, you set an intention and some goals and made a commitment to yourself (and/or others), of a plan that would move you forward in a bigger and better way for 2015!

And since January you ve been mindfully working your plan and moving closer to achieving or living the outcome of those intentions.

Or have you?

Let s shine a light on a simple reality It s exciting to state a BIG intention and set lofty goals at the beginning of the year as you dream with unfettered optimism about the year ahead. But unless they re those intentions are deeply rooted in a bigger WHY you set the intentions, the risk is high of getting off track and never seeing them come to fruition is very high.

Life can get in the way: the day-to-day routines, the interruptions of routines, the unexpected demands and expenses, the surprises, the challenges of living life, the new and shiny things that divert our attention any of these will test our resolve to achieve the things we said we want to achieve, and can pull us off the path we mapped out at the beginning of the year.

Sometimes we re pulled off track, but only briefly; other times they pull us off for good. Summer is a time that can be used to our advantage, as a time to pause from the routine. It s an opportunity to put a stake in the ground and check on the progress made along the path you began to follow at the beginning of the year.

You could think of summer as the halftime break in a sport. The team goes out and plays the first half of the game. That s when they discover just how well their training and game plan have paid off, and it s also when they decide what adjustments or corrections (if any) they need to make in how they re playing the game.

But the first half of the game is just the beginning, and I would argue that the decisions made during halftime can be the most important part of the game. This is a time for you to gather your team around to strategize, define and adjust how you will play the second half of the game.

Many teams have struggled in the first half of a game, but found their rhythm in the second half, and ultimately pushed through to win the game. Those victories are perhaps the sweetest for any team (and the fans watching) ) and it was, in fact, the halftime check-in that changed the game for them.

Why not look at this coming summer as your halftime; no matter what the first half of your year looked like, here is your opportunity to briefly pause outside of your routine, catch your breath, reflect on the year so far, adjust where needed and then go out and win the game you re playing in the remaining months of the year.

To help you, here is a list of some reflective questions to ponder as you consider what the second half of the year looks like.

1. What were the goals you set to fulfill your intentions at the beginning of the year? Can you remember them without pulling them out of the file where you saved them? Hint: If you can t remember what they were, your intention wasn t clear enough.

2. Are you closer to, further from, or status quo in relation to the outcome you intended?

If you achieved it far sooner than you expected, chances are it wasn t big or challenging enough.

If you ve barely started, consider if it s important enough to you. Is it time to revise your plan, add or let go of a team member, or reconsider your strategy?

3. Assess your level of commitment over the past six months to the outcome you intended.

Are you really playing the game with a commitment to winning or are you watching from the sidelines but feeling like you re playing the game?

4. What do you need to do differently to move forward with a higher and greater degree of clarity? What distractions (even the seemingly important distractions) pulled you off of your plan? How could you have worked through those distractions differently to remain in your game? Do you need to reach out to someone for help?

5. Will your intentions remain unchanged for the rest of the year or has new information modified them? It s okay to adjust your plan to do less, to recalibrate your pace based on new information but you must keep moving methodically and consistently forward. I urge you, if you see the need to adjust your plan to do less then make it a mindful decision, not a distraction. Whatever you choose is fine just don t stop. Remember, any plan can work, if you WORK it!

6. Looking forward, what do you consistently need to do to fully achieve or even surpass your intentions? Consider how you ve approached your goals to achieving your intentions so far this year and how they might be changing. If you re keeping your outcome the same, what needs to change to keep moving forward? From your attitude to your schedule to who s on your team, consider all dimensions of your plan.

7. Who can help you? Achieving the vision you ve set for yourself in the year is rarely something you do all on your own. Identify people who can help you as experts, coaches, and for accountability. Consider ALL your resources.

8. What predictable and almost certain adversities and challenges do you forecast being in the way in the second half of the year? (Consider The Eight Great Waits that hold you back: … Money, Time, Opportunity, The Market, Partner, Family, Knowledge, or Fear). List every single one you can think of, and one by one ask yourself and/or others what you must do to ensure that you move past them.

9. What additional motivations, inspiration, and incentives can you put in place to keep you on track? It s okay to enjoy some smaller rewards along the way if they help develop new habits which are more likely to help us reach our targets.

It s the summer – A time to enjoy the beautiful weather and have a little break from routine. But it s also an opportunity to take a halftime break to slooowwww doooowwwnnn, reflect and assess how your year is unfolding and if you have remained aligned and on track, and then to move forward in the best way and in the direction you want to go.

Patrick Francey is the CEO of REIN. As a serial entrepreneur he owns many businesses and has been a real estate investor for nearly 20 years. The majority of his holdings are located in Edmonton and Grande Prairie.

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