Can you believe it’s July? I can’t.
At my last job, July marked the beginning of the planning year. Annual goals were set for July 1 – June 30. I was responsible for facilitating the goal setting process for the leadership time (and effectively, if done right, for the rest of the organization). It was a Herculean effort to get people to produce a decent set of focused, aligned, and measurable goals. The process started in January (at the latest) so it felt like I was constantly asking people to lift their heads up from their day to day to think about the next year.
I mention this for two reasons.
- One, I have been reflecting on our organization’s approach and thinking about whether there is a less cumbersome way to enact a strategic plan. Turns out, I think there is. More on that to come.
- Two, I had a moment last week when I realized I have been gone from my last role for an ENTIRE GOAL SETTING CYCLE! It was just one of those moments when you realize, with abundant relief, that the world that weighed you down is moving on without you!
So, yay for moving on and taking the time to recognize the things that are no longer bogging us down AND for learning from our experiences and figuring out better ways forward!
A Half Year of Reading
I may have mentioned that I set a reading goal for this year. I had never done it before so I just took a stab at 50 books. Seemed aggressive – a little less than one a week. So here we are, half way through the year and I have read…wait for it… 40 books so far! Even better, thanks to my Goodreads account, I can tell you what they are! (Something I never could have done in years past…) Just for the fun of it, here they are, along with a few reflections…
First 10 of the year – I started the year pretty dark with Ripe and There There. Both fantastic books but in no way light or uplifting. Also, I am very stingy with 5 star reviews… but Lady Tan’s Circle of Women got one for sure.
Funny to look at this set together, what an odd combination of books! My least favorite of this group was probably the most highly rated of the set… But I didn’t dislike any of them, so I feel OK about that.
It’s Not You. Another 5 star recipient for me. I didn’t always read the Preface of books, but now that I am writing one I do. (And the acknowledgements. Someone put a lot of thought into those words.) Anyway, the Preface of this book hooked me right in.
And the last 10. I realize that I previously wrote about The Good Enough Job and Girl, Woman, Other. So I won’t go on about them. I read The Heirloom in a single day – and I felt like I was watching a movie. Tracking down the backstory of an heirloom engagement ring through multiple cities in 3 different countries. Nothing groundbreaking, but good entertainment!
For the record, while I certainly liked some more than others, I didn’t not like any of these! If I really don’t like a book, I put it down. Think I can keep up the pace? We will see!
What should I add to my list for the second half of the year? Any recommendations? Share them below!
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