As I write this article, the first half of 2018 is behind us and today is the first day of the second half. The Football World Cup fever has gripped the planet. The German team, defending champions and one of the pre-tournament favorites to win have failed in the preliminary rounds. We are in the knockout stages already. Argentina, Portugal, and Spain too have exited the tournament. Mega stars of the likes of Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo have been denied the opportunity to kiss the World Cup. Dreams have been shattered; plans haven’t worked. It is time to go back to the drawing board and reflect what went wrong. It is time to ask some tough questions.
Life is a game they say. Striking a parallel, the half-time whistle for 2018 has been blown. “What is our (your) half-time score?”
Possible scenarios could be:
- Are we leading? (ahead) – How can we even score more, consolidate the lead, and secure a win?
- Are we losing? (behind) – What should be our new strategy going back to the field? How do we deploy damage control techniques? How can we level? What is our sense of urgency? Are we positive that we can still beat the odds and win?
- Are we level? (on par)- How can we “up” our game and take the lead and defend well?
It is thus a crucial time for reflection and to take stock of the first half. It’s all about mindset. Half –Time scores don’t matter as long as you believe you can do better in the next half.
The final whistle for 2018 is still to go, giving us all an equal time opportunity to amend and fulfill our goals and dreams set out at the beginning of the year. Some tough decisions must be made to lay down a solid offensive and defensive strategy. One must make a note of what worked and what did not work. We need to decide what must continue and what must be stopped. We must plan to make changes (substitution) and who in the team must be picked and when.
As Warren Buffet says, “Part of making good decisions in life (and work) is recognizing poor decisions made before and asking why they were poor.”
Are you stuck? Do you feel frustrated? Are your plans not bearing fruit? Are you losing ground and feel that you cannot make it? It is perfectly fine to be in a situation like this. I have been there too in the past. It’s not over until you say (think)it’s over.
As a life coach I present 2 questions for individual/teams/business owners/organizations. They are similar, yet different in some ways
- In the next 6 months, what challenges or obstacles can you forecast, that you can see that your team is not currently resourced to overcome, or may test their Blind Spots?
- In the next 6 months, what opportunities can you forecast, that you can see your team is not currently resourced to take advantage of and leverage for the entire team’s highest good and others
To assess the situation well and accurately at Half –Time you may need a coach that understands you holistically and has the tool-set of experience to help along the way. The coach cannot enter the playing field but can be on the sidelines helping you to believe in yourself and your capabilities.
Life’s successes are measured by the assignments we complete, not by the ones we begin. It is usually a TEAM EFFORT. No one remembers the half times score, only the FINAL SCORE go into the books.
You can do it! Make your 2018 count! All the very best!
Dr. Owen Fernandes, MBA
