$pent Millennial

April already!? Somehow, despite the minor winter weather advisory snow storm we had in Wisconsin  this past week, it is! 

That means we are a quarter of the way through the year. Somehow, this always seems like a good time to do a check-in and reflect on my goals. Until I do. 

If you, like me, are a glutton for this particular type of punishment, I’ll share with you some lessons I am in the process of learning. 

First, a Friday at 5:45 is NOT the time to do a deep dive into reflection over whether or not you hit your goals for a quarter that is over. It is done. There is nothing to do about it. 

Second word of advice, Friday at 5:46 is NOT the time to start wondering if the goals you set for Q1 are even the right goals to have set. 

So, that activity was closed and saved for a later date- maybe Monday.

I still think there is value in this type of reflection and planning, but  5:45 on a Friday evening when your bf is home from work waiting to prepare your pay day dinner date, so you can collapse and watch the next episode of Making a Murderer  (yes, we are possibly some of the very last people to watch this docuseries) is not the time for it. 

Finally, perhaps January through March isn’t the ideal time for significant changes, big moves, or impressive tasks.

I don’t know if anyone has ever experienced winter in Wisconsin, but during this season my biggest motivation is to get through the day, so that I can crawl back into my warm bed at night. The LAST thing I am thinking about is a “beach body”, my flannel and sweats body built by pasta and cheese serves me quite well, thank you very much! 

The lesson, timing is key and maybe everything doesn’t have to be done, accomplished, tightly documented and reported on in tidy pre-determined boxes. Maybe it is okay to let it flow- progress, reflection, planning, implementing, etc. Our life isn’t a corporate calendar with metrics and timelines, our worth and quality of life are not dictated by a quarterly performance report. 

This is to say that if Q1 didn’t go as planned for your New Year, New Me goals- 

1. Same 

2. Maybe spring and this new quarter will be a better time for reinvigoration and motivation – the sunshine and longer days certainly can’t hurt, right? 

While it’s tempting to dwell on unmet goals and perceived failures, I’m realizing that our true power lies in how we reframe our journey, embracing harmony and flow as we navigate challenges and setbacks

Practicing this shift here, I apply a reframing technique that I use when my thoughts become particularly tough and negative to reflect on the goals and progress of this past quarter.

Negative Thoughts/ Self-Talk 😰	Positive Reframe 🙂
I Failed. It’s over. Done. I’m a mess up. Find me a hole to crawl into…	A bit dramatic, no? Let’s just try to reframe that…
Work Goals (Won’t bore you with the details):  There are a bunch of specific SMART goals I set for work that I did not hit and will probably be a quarter behind on now…	A new quarter is a good time for reflection on if these goals still make sense, how they might need to be adjusted and to put a plan in place to ensure my priorities are aligned with the tasks and work I prioritize throughout the coming weeks.
Financial Goals:  Pretty sure I blew through my budget every month with overspend in categories far and wide each month. Duck it. What is the point anyways?	If I don’t get bogged down in the details, I actually did GREAT!  I made my monthly savings goal for my emergency fund each month last quarter, giving me a nice little boost in my emergency fund- getting more secure by the month!  Also, I cut my monthly phone bill in more than HALF and pre-paid it. So, now my monthly “phone bill” goes into an additional sinking fund creating more financial security for future me.  I did my taxes and my return is headed straight to my New Tires fund, so that won’t be a nasty surprise come fall.  Overall, big picture I’m not sure it matters that I went $20 over on my “guilt-free” spending in March or spent more than I wanted on holidays and birthdays in February. Let’s keep some perspective…
Health Goals:  I actually don’t really have any doom and gloom thoughts here. I am doing really well on my body positivity/ acceptance goal of working out to take care of my body, not punish it.  And my mental health is feeling really a lot better than it had been too – thanks to mindfulness, meditation, self-care, boundaries and healing.  I could eat healthier… as always, but I knew better than to put that as a goal this year… 🙃
Hobby Goals:  What am I doing? Does anyone care about this blog, Instagram, what’s the point?  I’m not actively promoting this. It isn’t quality writing, blah, blah, blah	Silly goose, this is a hobby. I do it for enjoyment,  don’t have set metric goals. I am just here for enjoyment. Just a rambling silly little mess doing my best and sharing the journey in case anyone relates.  The whole purpose of this was to enrich my time in a hobby (blogging) that I have been meaning to get into for a long time  and possibly share some relatable content along the way. 🙂

So, there it is—my reframed, gentle reflection on Q1 of this year (2024). Feel free to download the reframing template to reframe your own reflections and shift any negative self-talk that’s nagging you. And, let us know how you reflect and plan for moving forward in the comments. Seriously, I need all the help I can get!