Can you believe that we are halfway through the year?!
How are you doing? Are you well on your way this year or are you needing to make some adjustments? Perhaps you made some goals at the beginning of the year that haven’t been executed as well as you had hoped. It could be you didn’t make any goals and have just been drifting, taking it day by day.
Wherever you are on the journey there is nothing wrong with hitting the pause button and doing a little self-examination. You could be further along than you thought and will have cause for celebration. Or, it might be that you need a little bit of a course correction to get on track.
Here are 5 questions for a midyear evaluation:
- What is Jesus doing in your life?
“The most important thing I have to do today is to spend time with Jesus.” Dean Trune. How easy it is to allow the cares and worries of this world choke out our souls. Are you feeding your soul? Are you spending time with Jesus in prayer, in his Word and in his Church?
- What is the direction of your affection?
A mechanic’s car is never gets an oil change; a carpenters house needs to be remodeled. Why is it that we neglect the things we love most? We have given so much of ourselves away already. Those we love most get our leftovers if anything at all. Is the direction of your heart towards your children? Are you giving your spouse your best?
- How is your health?
The athletic abilities of my teens carried over into my twenties. In my thirties I needed to exercise to be able to eat whatever I wanted. As I approach my 40’s I am recognizing I can’t out exercise my diet. The funny thing about health is that it doesn’t go away overnight, it slips away. And when you finally realize you need to do something about your health, it’s much harder to get moving. Are you moving?
- Are you communicating?
Communication doesn’t come naturally. When we fail to communicate it frustrates everyone involved. I am learning that by the time I am tired of saying something the people around me are hearing it for the first time. Communication needs to be early and often; communication is over communicating. People cannot read your mind. What responsibilities or feelings do you need to communicate more clearly?
- Who are you learning from?
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” How are you sharpening the axe? What books are you reading? What podcasts are you listening to? What class do you need to take? Who is a little bit further down the road that can help you with your next step?
That’s my short list of questions for a midyear evaluation. What areas are you excelling? What areas need adjustments? Is this a solid list? What questions would you add for a self examination?