Just a few days ago we crossed the midpoint line of the year. It’s HALFTIME! For many it simply was a new day on the calendar – filled with work, errands, to-do lists and other life demands. For many others – it is an incredible opportunity. I’m in this camp. I’m using this as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to recalibrate and refocus on the mission of your life, purpose that you are pursuing, and big ideas that you’re looking to accomplish.
I think a sports analogy is perfect here. Halftime in sports – I’m thinking mainly about football and basketball, are used as moments to catch your breath, re-evaluate your game plan, get the team refocused, and reposition yourself mentally, emotionally, physically. In our case, and most of all, this would also include getting refocused spiritually.
It’s halftime for your life – at least, for this year. As it would be, July 2nd is considered the midpoint day of the year (not factoring in the Leap Year Calendar). Of course, I pray that you have many, many more successful years in front of you, but for this year, I think this halftime is an opportunity for you to ask and answer a few important questions. Like a football or basketball team that is not yet completely winning the game or the team which may be, in fact, winning the game but needs to finish the game strong, here are a few things to ask and consider (and it’s absolutely not an exhaustive list):
- How are you coming along on your written goals? (Assumption: Your goals are written down)
- Where are you succeeding? Where are you failing? Where are the gaps?
- What does your prayer agenda look like? What areas has God answered and where are there still areas to cover in prayer?
- Who’s on your team that’s been helping you win that you need to keep in the starting line-up? Who’s on the team that needs to be appropriately sidelined?
- How’s your rhythm? Are you in a spiritual rhythm? Are you in a physical rhythm?
- What topics and books do you need to read and study? What people do you need to learn from afar? What books do you need to finish?
- How’s your marriage? How are you and your spouse connecting? What’s on your spouse’s heart? How can you take your marriage to another level?
- How’s your character? What areas do you need to stop procrastinating and start growing with?
- Have you scheduled your annual and semi-annual health checks? How are your eyes? What’s the update on your teeth? Are you flossing regularly? How’s your workout schedule coming along?
- If you’re a parent – how much time are you spending with your children? What conversations do you need to start having? What do you need to get them involved with?
- How are you managing your finances? How’s your credit? Do you know what areas you need to focus on? Have you discussed this with your spouse? Are you all making progress with your budget conversations?
Halftime is awesome. It’s so much fun to see a team who seemed a little “off” during the first half, come out in the second half and gain ground. It’s so exciting to see that team who was down going into halftime comeback and win in the second half. It’s really scientific to see a coach remind their team of the initial game plan and what their focus should be. Whether you are a Patriots fan or not, this was seen so clearly in the 2017 Super Bowl.
Interestingly enough, at the end of one year and beginning of another, everyone feels the sense to renew their focus and mindset and position themselves to get “their lives together”. Well, halftime is great time to do the same thing. Review your theme for the year. Pull your annual goals back out and go over them, adjust them, recommit to them. You can, in fact, finish the year strong.
Finally, even though half of the year is gone, I believe the promise of Isaiah 43: 16-21 (The Message): “This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” (Here are some parallel translations.)