Now that we have surpassed the first half of 2025 it is a good time to review what has happened. 
I personally like to do this now versus January when we are just coming off all the busyness of the holidays.
With this, we also get fireworks to really celebrate what July to December has to offer us!
So in reviewing the first six months of this year, ask yourself what went well.
Not just the big things but also embrace small moments as well.
Maybe someone held a door open for you or just said “thank you”.
It could be that someone complimented you on your outfit or what you said in a meeting.
Did you take the time to acknowledge yourself when no one had or no one was around to see you do it?
We all need boosters to keep us making progress even if they are ones we say to ourselves.
Now let’s take a look at the harder ones.
What did not go well?
These things may have been pointed out to you by a boss, a coworker, a friend, or even a family member but are there other things that you are admonishing yourself for that no one else noticed?
How did you feel when someone gave you feedback?
Did you reflect on what you were told and then made some adjustments or were you so offended that you shut down and stopped listening to them?
Were these comments made with sincerity, or did you feel this person was mean spirited and just wanted to put you down? How did you respond?
Now ask these questions of yourself.
Did you provide yourself such negative feedback that you became angry and put yourself down even more?
Did you start labeling yourself as “stupid”, “lazy” or some other harsh word?
OR did you instead have a sense of overwhelm which led to a panic attack and then you put yourself down even more?
Regardless of whatever scenario has occurred we have to figure out a way to remind ourselves that all of this happened in the past and we can’t change it.
We can now only determine how to learn from all of this and make progress forward.
It is not easy but by persevering with the smallest steps we can start to have small wins and hopefully propel ourselves forward.
No one lives in a perfect world but picture it for a minute.
If there were no challenges and/or problems, it may seem idyllic – for a while.
After some time though it probably would get pretty boring for most, if not all of us.
Any athlete will tell you that the feeling of victory is even sweeter after that person has endured some roadblocks/stumbles along the way.
By believing they can still cross the finish line or make that goal, etc. even if it is not the time or the exact way they wanted, they still did it. And they probably will have an opportunity to try again another time as well.
So don’t be so hard on yourself for the rest of this year. 
Identify one or two stretch goals but sprinkle in some easier ones too.
Enjoy the next six months and then on January 1st when the ball drops, think how fortunate you are that things worked out even when you may have doubted yourself at times.
Good luck!