July 1st is My Second New Years

I'm a sucker for a fresh start. I love the feeling of possibility and the blank slate that comes with a new week, month and year. I always find that my motivation is recharged and I'm reading to accomplish all my goals.

July 1st is one of my favorite times to reset. There's a few reasons why:

We are halfway through the year.

I know most people set goals at the New Year for what they all want to accomplish over the 365 days ahead. However, I wonder how many people actually follow through on those goals. I would be willing to bet that once most people set them, they never go back to revisit them.

For me, I do still choose to set goals in the beginning of every year. But what I do to ensure I am making progress on them, though, is use July 1st as a checkpoint and reflection. I review my goals and make sure they still are relevant, that I have moved the needle on them, and that I make any necessary tweaks to them.

Taking the time to ensure my goals are aligned with the direction God is leading me halfway through the year really helps me to recenter and find the fuel to keep pushing toward accomplishing them.

It's the middle of summer.

July is the middle of summer, and for some reason, I tend to find that the days feel a little slower and I have more time on my hands. (It may not be true, but it sure feels like it! Haha.)

With more time and freedom, I can put extra focus on working toward my goals. So, not only is the weather hot, but my motivation is too.

Plus, with that extra time, I can make sure I have everything squared away and running like an oiled machine before the busy fall and holiday season rolls around.

I start a new planner.

This is really the biggest reason for why July 1st feels like a new start, because I literally have an unwritten book in front of me.

After finishing school, I decided to continue using an Academic Planner. I thought it could be nice to have that feeling of newness right at the point in the year when excitement slows and I tend to find myself in a rut.

That decision was one of the best hacks to keep me moving and having fun with hard work. I look forward to setting up my planner each year and organizing my life along with it.

While July 1st might not come with all the celebration of January 1st, it still is a great time for a fresh start. So, Happy (Second) New Year, friends! Now let's get goal setting!