Author: Bianca A. McCormick-Johnson

Speaking in terms of life, did your game start out quite well, or was it pretty bad? This is the question you should be meditating on because the end of the first quarter of this year is already near. Thus, it’s time to make some changes. Companies operate like this, so why shouldn’t we? Don’t wait until the new year to make necessary changes in your life. Start assessing your behavior and tracking your progress quarterly instead of yearly. By applying this method, you will begin to realize improvements in your attitude and reach your goals faster. Besides, why carry on a behavior or practice all throughout the year when it can be corrected or improved sooner?

If your first quarter went well, good for you. Let’s keep it going. But if you are working towards human improvement as well as success, which are equally important, let’s go through a few check points to make sure you’re on the right track.

Behavioral Assessment: (answer all that may apply)

1. Are you still holding on to something you should’ve let go by now?

• You should let it go because it can have power and control over you and block your blessings, which will hinder your success. You may not think it is damaging to your spirit, but it is because you haven’t let go. When constantly speak negatively of that person or situation, you haven’t moved on from it. You may have learned from it, but you certainly haven’t moved on from it. You become free and clear of the bitterness when the thought can run across your mind without disrupting your spirit. You learn to speak of it from a positive standpoint.

2. Have you admitted to any wrongdoings?

• You’re still holding to on to what someone has done to you, but you never admit to your own wrongdoings in the same situation or another. What makes you so different? If you’ve had many instances like this, you may be the problem. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. Sometimes our approach to handling certain situations is not always favorable to the outcome. Hence, you should always think before you speak or act in any given situation. It can preserve your reputation and make your more diplomatic.

3. Have you forgiven a person(s) who have done you wrong?

• Before diving in, I’d like to add a disclaimer. Holding on to something is not an implication that one hasn’t forgiven a person. Some people say you should forgive and forget. But truth is, you forgive and recover, but you don’t forget. That’s like asking someone not to be human. You can forgive a person instantly, meaning you have no malice in your heart for that person. However, you have resentment or bitterness if you haven’t let go. Forgiveness is easy. Recovery is hard and can take some time. Depending on the severity of the action, it can take months or even years.

Forgiving a person doesn’t mean it erases the pain you feel consequent his or her actions. Nevertheless, you cannot let anything go without forgiveness, but you can forgive without letting go. Resentment causes the situation to gain power and control over you, not unforgiveness. Once you’ve forgiven and let go, then you can recover. As a result, it will no longer have power and control over you.

4. Are you still afflicted with a vice or bad habit?

• You can’t say your path is clear for the second quarter if you are still afflicted with a vice or bad habit you said you would let go for the new year. I understand some habits are harder to break such as smoking, but are you at least cutting back on the number of cigarettes you smoke daily? If you are taking steps toward overcoming that vice or breaking that bad habit, then it’s safe to say you’re moving in the right direction. Now if you are a cheating spouse whose resolution was to stop, you can’t give yourself credit for dropping the old one yet picking up something new. That does not count. Instead, you should consider a new hobby other than hunting or fishing.

5. Are you taking care of your body?

• You might not see how health and wellness correlate until you realize it’s harder to achieve your goals with a poor engine. You want to drive trucks? DOT won’t clear you with high blood pressure. You want to join the police force? They might tell you to lose weight. Considering modeling, acting, or singing? You’re going to need a lot of energy for that, and aesthetics is everything. If your goal is just to have a good life insurance plan, you might get denied if your levels are too high. So be proactive, get healthy, and get in shape.

6. Have you helped someone in need?

• If you have achieved success in the first quarter and you’re not giving back, then you have selfish motives. But whether you have or haven’t, you’re missing an important step because you reap what you sow. You never know when you might fall. People file bankrupt all the time, and it’s not just poor people. Should you ever fall short, would you expect people to give to you if you haven’t given to anyone? Your gifts don’t always have to be money. You can help people by offering your time or services. If you’ve done all the above except this last step, make it an appointment to give your time, talent, or treasure to someone who can benefit.

Life Goals

1. Is your current strategy working? Meaning, are you seeing results?

• If yes, keep it going and monitor activity regularly. This gives you the opportunity to focus on another goal. If no, try something different or improve your current method.
2. Are you tracking your progress?

• If not, you should. Otherwise, you won’t be able to determine what’s working and what’s not.
3. Have you met your quotas?

• If yes, great. Keep it up! If not, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Just set realistic goals next time, push harder, and be patient.
4. Are you on schedule/meeting deadlines?

• If yes, great! If no, consider budgeting your time wisely. Time management is crucial to success in any realm.
5. Have you written your goals for the second quarter?

• If yes, you’re on the right track. If no, what are you waiting for? Without goals, you have nothing to shoot for. Can you imagine watching a basketball game without goals? 😊
6. Are you keeping quiet about it?

• If yes, awesome! If no, hush. Your goals should be personal and as private as your social security number. You don’t have to tell people everything. If so, throw them of and remain a mystery. Some will applaud. Some will hate and pray on your downfall. And some will copy or try to beat you to the finish line.

So, whatever you are shooting for this year, map out a plan and follow it. Re-evaluate the plan every quarter, and make changes accordingly. You don’t have to stick to one plan for an entire year. Just try sticking to it for that quarter. But if you have no plan to achieve your goal, you can plan to fail at that endeavor.

And remember…
“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”

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