We are officially in the last six months of 2016. Isn't is crazy? I feel as though January was just a few weeks ago, not a full six months ago. Maybe it's just me, but time has flown during 2016. I feel as if it's a perfect time to reflect on what has happened this year and adjust my course to finish 2016 strong.
New Years always drives a movement for change, but I never see a follow up. I developed a personal mid year review consisting of questions relating to my goals and actions. If you feel it's time for a checkup or time for a change, try answering these questions and see what you learn about yourself.
1. Which of my goals from January have I achieved or made progress on?
The only goal I really made progress with is increasing the amount of money I save each month. The closer I get to graduation, the more I realize how expensive life can be. I don't want to be worried about my finances after college, so I don't mind putting away a little bit more each paycheck.
2. After reflecting on my actions during February, how can I improve or maintain how I handle personal and professional situations?
No one is perfect and we all have our days. I would say I have a pretty good attitude and handle situations moderately well. I would say I handle them as well as anyone else my age. Counting to three and breathing may be helpful to growing as a person and becoming more mature.
3. What habits did I create and/or break during March?
I began setting aside 15 to 20 minutes a day to read the news or do a little research on a topic I find interesting. I did not allow myself to use social media since I aimlessly scroll through social media apps for hours. This was a great habit to adopt, but finals week ruined my drive to read since I was worried about studying.
I attempted to stop biting my nails again. I haven't been too successful, but 2016 is the only year I've ever tried to break this habit. Breaking a 20 year habit can only be accomplished one day at a time.
4. Did Spring Break week during mid-April have any effect on my productivity?
Having online classes means having homework during Spring Break, at least for mine. Luckily it wasn't too hard to continue doing homework, but studying for the test I had the Monday afterward was incredibly difficult. My productivity didn't decrease too much, but my willpower slightly did.
5. What did the transition from classes to summer break do for my stress levels and attitude in May?
I noticed a significant decrease in the number of nights I spent crying from stress. I also noticed I wasn't so easy to irritate. Sleepless nights and increased stress levels will do that to a person. I don't take classes in the summer, so I have a chance to relax for a few months before going back to taking five classes. Luckily a semester is only four months.
6. Did I scratch off any goals and replace them with new ones during June?
I didn't scratch any goals off, but I did decide I wanted learn a few languages on Code Academy by December. The lessons are pretty quick and easy. Learning HTML, CCS and Java would be really beneficial to me in the future for career advancement.
