I have been thinking about how quickly 2019 has gone by. Some of that is because I just passed my 42nd birthday.
My birthday always signals the end of summer, the beginning of the fall season, college football, end of baseball season nearing, and fiscal fourth quarter coming up. This year, while it is all of those things per usual, I see it as much more. It is a chance to take stock and make changes before we start the new year. As of today there are 100 days left in 2019. I do not want to go into 2020 wishing I had done more in 2019 to make things happen I wanted or feeling like I need a major reset. Do you? 100 days is enough time to move mountains. A lot can happen.
In thinking about the year flying by, it is time to ask yourself about the quality of the life you are living. Are you stressed out? Is it September already and you haven’t met your goals for the year? Are there some you have not even started on? Me, too. Sure, I have met some of my goals, but not all. What about that exercise regime I was going to really lock in this year? I have found plenty of reasons I could not. What about meal prep? Too much work, social, or networking activities going on mean it has not happened the way I wanted. Self care? Free time? What free time? Weekends and vacations have largely been permeated by other people’s needs or wants, client needs, and often me and my family last. Part of that is my fault because saying “no,” when people have questions has never been my strong suit, but taking time to recharge is essential and I know better. Friendships? If you are like me, your free time is precious, so you want to spend it with the people you want to be with – friends and family who value you and who you truly are invested in. For many of us, the older we get, the smaller our close circle becomes. Who is in your circle? Are you giving emotional energy and precious time to people who do not give you the same or who are not positive? If so, just stop. It is okay to stop.
This weekend I took a hard look at the quality of life I am living. Despite the fact that I am not doing everything perfectly, I choose to recognize that my life is very good. I am fortunate to have a great family, friends I know that I could call in the middle of the night who would drop everything for me if needed, my senior animals are all healthy, and our firm is doing well and has and amazing team and amazing clients. I choose to focus on the things that are going well for me and give that my energy. But I also acknowledge that I do not always remember to do that. Like everyone else, I get stressed out, I focus on the areas where I am not meeting my goals, I give people my energy when I should not. I get off track. I am not perfect.
So as I hit the last 100 days of 2019, I am going to recenter on the positive and maximize this home stretch. Focus on the goodness. Exercise and nutrition goals? I am coming for you! 100 days is plenty of time to make a difference and propel me into 2020. Quality and down time? I am renewing my focus on guarding my recharge and refresh time so I can be at my best for myself, the people who love me, and my firm. Business goals? Time to finish strong and prep for 2020 early. Close circle? Eliminate toxicity and devoting energy where it is reciprocated. I am going to make more time for the people who love me and I think about having dinner with, but do not often enough. I have got this. So do you! We have 100 days to close out this decade and get an amazing jump start on next year.
What are you doing to make the most of your last 100 days of 2019? Do you have a change you need to make? Whether it is big or small, I have no doubt you can do it. If I can help, let me know. Let’s knock this last 100 out of the park. There is always so much focus on starting a new year. Why not focus on closing out the one we have to finish strong? This is nothing novel, yet it seems to make so much more sense than limping to the finish line of this decade and waiting to lament all of the missed opportunities and a new start in 2020. Turbocharge your new year now! One small step each day to make your last 100 your best 100 could change everything. You may have sat on some goals or prioritized other things, but fear not, You have time. We all do. 100 days starts now.
Time to get to work! For the first day of my 100 day countdown to 2020, I reality checked myself: I cannot do or fix it all in one day, but I can take steps. Then I tackled self care and took advantage of that gift certificate to a local day spa my sister got me for my birthday (instead of waiting my typical 6 or 9 months) to get a deep tissue massage followed by the steam room. That meant I also went “screen fee,” for about two daylight hours, which is a baby step, but a huge daily goal of mine that has suffered this year. I also answered a few work emails and prioritized my work week — and then decided the rest can and must wait until tomorrow because even I need time to recharge. Tonight I got back on my peloton bike for a short ride (better than no ride) that promises to be painful tomorrow, but I am so glad I did. Did you do something today to make this one of the best of your last 100?
