Nancy: Life is unpredictable. Things do not always go as planned. The more willing to adapt and pivot that you are, the more agile you will become. And you will learn to trust that every detour and challenge is an opportunity for growth and for learning. You are stronger and more capable than you realize.
Nancy: Welcome to the Nancy Levin Show. I’m Nancy Levin, Founder of Levin Life Coach Academy, best-selling author, master coach, and your host. I help overachieving people pleasers set boundaries that stick and own self-worth, anchored in empowered action, so you can feel free. Plus, if you’re an aspiring or current coach, you are in the right place. Join me each week for coaching and compelling conversations designed to support you in the spotlight, as you take center stage of your own life. Let’s dive in.
Nancy: Welcome back to The Nancy Levin show. I’m thrilled you’re here today as we are going to do a bit of a mid-year check in together. So really, the question to ask yourself is, am I where I want to be right now? And if you are feeling off track in any way, fear not, because we are going to do a deep dive into assessing our progress, identifying our blocks, and finding solutions to get back on track.
So grab your journal or find some paper, sit yourself in a cozy spot and let’s embark on this journey together.
A mid-year check in is really essential for our growth and our development. This check in provides us with the opportunity to pause to reflect and realign our goals with our current reality. So think of this as a bit of a pit stop in the marathon of life. We get to assess our energy levels, we get to check for any injuries or obstacles and make necessary adjustments to ensure we reach the finish line.
So let’s begin by acknowledging where we are right now. Just simply allow yourself to take a nice deep breath, a nice inhale, exhale. And then in your journal, I invite you to write down a list of your accomplishments from the first half of this year. No matter how big or small, every step forward is progress. And as you’re writing these achievements and accomplishments down, give yourself permission to celebrate these victories. Give yourself permission to feel proud. And if you need to pause the podcast to make your list, please do so.
Now that we’ve celebrated our successes, let’s shift our focus to the gaps. Where are the areas in your life where you feel behind or unfulfilled? And be honest with yourself. This is not about judgment, it is simply about awareness. So take a moment here to write down any goals or intentions that have not been met yet. And here’s the truth, understanding these gaps is the first step to bridging them. So that’s why I’m having you identify the places where you have not met your intention or your goal. And you know, we all know what it’s like to have an intention to do something.You might be someone who has New Year’s resolutions. We can be enthusiastic at the start, and then life happens, our priority shifts and we get thrown a curveball. And that’s okay – the key is to stay adaptable and committed to the vision we’re holding we want to bring to fruition.
So let’s dive a little bit deeper and reflect on what might be holding you back. Are there external obstacles, such as time constraints, financial limitations, or lack of support? Or are there internal blocks like fear, self doubt, or procrastination? So take a few moments here to write down any obstacles you’ve encountered along the way. It’s essential to identify these obstacles because they offer us valuable insights. Sometimes our greatest blocks are self imposed, and I would say most often our greatest blocks are self imposed. Fear of failure, fear of success, or the stories and shadow beliefs that we have around our limitations can be significant barriers. So becoming aware of these patterns allows us to challenge and change them.
Now that we have a clear picture of where we are and what’s holding us back, it’s time to realign our goals. So take a look at your list of unmet goals and ask yourself if they still resonate with you. Are they aligned with your current values and what is the priority for you? And if not, I invite you to give yourself permission to adjust them.
This is what I refer to in Reinvention Coaching as calibration. We are assessing and reassessing because things shift. And we want to make sure that any incompletions, meaning any goals that we haven’t met, any intentions that we have not achieved, we want to make sure that these incompletions are still in alignment with who we are and what we want today – that we’re not dragging around old, unfinished business from the past that is no longer relevant or resonant. So we need to give ourselves permission to change our minds. Life is dynamic and so are our goals. So realign your intentions with your current reality to ensure that you can and want to achieve what you say you want.
Nancy: Hi, it’s Nancy interrupting my own show. I’ve got a lot of exciting things coming up in 2024, including a brand new book plus a group coaching opportunity, unlike anything else I have ever offered before. To make sure you are in the know, pop on over to my website now and sign up for my free weekly newsletter at nancylevin.com/newsletter so you don’t miss a thing. Okay, back to the show.
Nancy: With your realigned goals in mind, let’s create an action plan. I like to talk about micro actions. I like to break down each goal into smaller, manageable actions because this will have them be less overwhelming and more achievable. So write down the first step you can take toward the goal that is the highest priority on your list. The first step. So we want to make sure that this is specific and concrete, that it’s doable, achievable, that it’s under your control. Progress is progress, no matter how small. Micro actions linked together create momentum. Taking consistent, small steps will eventually lead you to your destination, and I invite you to celebrate each milestone along the way. And remember to practice self compassion, to be kind, to be gentle with yourself, because you are doing the best you can, as fast as you can. And that is more than enough.
One of the most powerful ways to stay on track is by seeking support and accountability. So this is where coaching comes in. One of the most essential elements of coaching is first showing up committed to your own evolution. So a coach can show up committed to holding you accountable to the commitment you are making to yourself. Over time, the idea is that we don’t need other people to hold us accountable, that we will hold ourselves accountable, that we will do what we commit to doing. But at first, it can be really helpful to have the support of a partner. And that’s the beauty of coaching, that kind of partnership, having someone to hold you in accountability and hold you in achieving what you want for yourself, even if you don’t see how you’re going to do it.
I often tell my clients, if you are not ready to believe for yourself, simply believe that I believe. Most importantly, what I’m sharing here is that you don’t have to do this kind of work alone. You don’t have to do this all by yourself. You can get support, you can have accountability, and you can continue to recalibrate to assess and reassess what is most alive for you.
So as you work toward your goals, it is essential to practice mindfulness and self care. Pay attention to your energy levels, to your emotions, and to your overall well being. Regularly check in with yourself and make adjustments as needed.
So for anyone listening who does not regularly check in with yourself, and there’s so many reasons why we don’t, this is an invitation to begin a practice of checking in. Am I where I want to be? What are the obstacles? What is the action I can take toward my desire? You can incorporate self care practices into your daily routine such as meditation, journaling, movement, rest. Taking care of yourself at this point in time is not a luxury, it is a necessity. And when you are at your best, you can give your best to your goals and your desires and your dreams.
And lastly, here I invite you to embrace flexibility and resilience. Life is unpredictable. Things do not always go as planned. The more willing to adapt and pivot that you are, the more agile you will become and you will learn to trust that every detour and challenge is an opportunity for growth and for learning.Resilience is really about bouncing back from setbacks and continuing to move forward. It’s about maintaining a positive attitude and believing in your ability to overcome obstacles. You are stronger and more capable than you realize.
So as we wrap up today’s episode, I remind you that you have the power to create the life you desire. Mid-year check ins are a beautiful opportunity to pause, reflect and realign, celebrate your progress, identify gaps, and take inspired action to get back on track.
Thank you so much for joining me here on this journey of self discovery and growth. Remember, you are exactly where you need to be and you have everything within you to achieve your dreams. So until we meet again next week, I wish you well. See you soon.
Nancy: Thanks so much for joining me today. I invite you to head on over to nancylevin.com to check out all the goodies I have there for you. And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and a review. I’ll meet you back here next week.