BV SEMAH

Today is 30th june, and it happens to be the last day of the first half of the year. A lot has happened, and I believe this first half have served all of us with our own share of the ups and downs of life.
Every new year comes with a wave of excitement and energy that seems to put people in a highly expectant and optimistic mood. Cast your mind back to January 1st, and you’ll realise that this year was no exception.
As we journey through the year, the realisation is that there is an obvious dissipation of the excitement and energy that characterize the new year. So much so that by the time its “half time” most people have already given up on their new year resolutions or some goals they might set at the dawn of the new year.
The question is how do we remain optimistic and sustain the motivation and energy with which we begun the year? So that when its “full time” at December 31st, we can proudly look back and say that indeed we have improved in some areas of our lives and we’ve become better individuals than we were when the year begun. Below are some simple and practical steps we can take to maintain our enthusiasm and energy as we enter the second half of the year.

GOALS… Goals are very great source of motivation. US Poet Bill Copeland once wrote that “the trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your time running up and down the feild and never score.” Consider about 2 or 3 things you want to achieve by the end of the year and WRITE THEM DOWN. The advantage of having written goals is that it gives you a sense of direction and and focus.

PLAN… Its not enough to set goals, there’s the need to take action to realise those goals. Planning is about deciding what to do and what not to do to in order to achieve our goals. It’s a way of “bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” (Alen lakein). This can keep you motivated because you have an idea of what you want and also what to do and what not to do to achieve it.

KEEP A JOURNAL… A journal is a “personal record of occurences, experiences and reflections kept on a regular basis.” The benefits derived from keeping a journal are numerous. Robert Sharma once wrote that “writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.” If you’re not yet in the habit of Journalling, why don’t you think of getting yourself a diary or any notebook and start from today. At the end of the year when its “full time” you’ll realise you’ve learnt a lot from your own exeperiences and reflection. And of course, you can share these lessons with others as well.

BOOKS AND PEOPLE… “You are the same today that you are going to be five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” (Charles “T” Jones.) Even the good book says that “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”(Proverbs 13:20)
Good books are also a great source of motivation. Pick at least six good books. These could be Christian literature, business books, motivational books or even a novel. Read one of these every month for the last six months of the year. And be assured that this habit alone will expand your world view and make you a better person. Think about it. Just one book per month, you can do it right? Good! The importance of reading can simply not be overemphasize.

GO ON A RETREAT… An unexamined life as Socrates said in not worth living. There comes a time in the life of every individual when the best thing to do is to take some time away from your ordinary life and situation. Its simply a time to reflect on where you are in life now, ponder over the choices you’ve made and whether they’ve been helpful or not. Again its a time to rest and give yourself some peace and calm, when you’re not distracted by notifications from your phone and other devices. You wouldn’t want to deny yourself of such a time.

The only reason I share these is because it helps me achieve incredible results whenever I’m disciplined to apply them. I hope it does same for you too.
As we begin the second half of the year, I think its a time to celebrate our achievements in the first half. And also appreciate the lessons learnt from our failures as well. Going foward, I strongly believe these simple yet practical steps when followed can tremendously shape us to become better individuals.

Permit me to wish you a happy new “half year”…