Milestones & Next Steps – TPW050

A milestone can be motivating–a target to shoot for, or a place to pause and celebrate. But it can also be disappointing if we set our expectations for it unreasonably high. On The Productive Woman’s milestone 50th episode let’s talk about reaching milestones, and figuring out what to do next.

What is a milestone for?

mile·stone  (mīl′stōn′) n.

1. A stone marker set up on a roadside to indicate the distance in miles from a given point.

2. An important event, as in a child’s development, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.

      ~ from The Free Dictionary by Farlex

Some dates or accomplishments or events are milestones for us. As this episode 50 (!!) of The Productive Woman was recorded and published, it’s just past the middle of 2015. Half the year has passed. It’s a good time to pause, look back, and consider how the year has gone so far. Have we made the progress we’d hoped for toward our goals for the year? Celebrate successes, consider the disappointments, and recalibrate for the second half of the year.

I loved this article that discusses 12 Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are. I encourage you to read the whole article, but the gist of it is: let’s cut ourselves a break!

What next?

Whether we’ve just passed a milestone or just are living life, sometimes it’s hard to know what to do next. We can become paralyzed at the point of deciding on next steps.

The first step perhaps is to go back and look at our values and priorities, and think about whether the way we’re using our time, energy, and resources lines up with those values and priorities. Take a bit of time to renew our vision for the kind of life we want to build. Consider the process we’ve discussed in previous episodes for setting goals, overcoming obstacles, and dealing with discouragement.

After that, the process for deciding what to do next maybe depends on the situation and what has us blocked or uncertain about next steps.

Paralyzed because there’s too much to do?

Go through the triage process: Write it all down, then figure out what you can delete, defer, and delegate. Then just pick one–maybe the one that will have the biggest impact?–and start.

Lacking motivation because you have no pressing deadlines?

Refocus yourself (did you choose a word–or 3 words–for the year?), and then create your own deadlines.

Hung up because all the options look bad?

Can you change your perspective, find a way to view one or more of the options in a more positive light? Can you get creative, and come up with another alternative you hadn’t considered yet?

Hesitating because what you really want to do is hard or overwhelming?

Eat that elephant one bite at a time. Break it down into tiny steps and take one small step in the direction you want to go.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share in the comments below or email me.

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