Halftime Adjustments
Planning Series Part 2
by Lydia Floren
My husband Andrew and I are big football fans, and though I am by no means an expert, I have learned a few things about the game over the years. Mostly by osmosis. Sitting on cold metal benches, trying to figure out what exactly a defensive end does. Chatting about strategy and strengths with fellow parents as we sell things for fundraisers or serve up food to sweaty players. Listening to my husband and three sons rehash games at the dinner table. Playing tag football with the kids in the front yard. (Well, until a career ending knee injury sidelined me a few years ago.)
I also learned the game by asking a lot of questions from people who know more than I do. (So far, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t responded to my emails, but it’s OK. I understand. He’s a little busy right now.)
One of my favorite things about watching football, is seeing how things change in the second half. The coaches can spend weeks developing a sound game plan, and drilling it into their team. But usually, as the first half unfolds, things don’t go exactly according to plan. Maybe a key player gets hurt. Or the opposing quarterback is having the best game of his life. For whatever reason, the team’s carefully crafted strategy is not working as anticipated. Coaches know this. Anticipate it, even. And they have a plan in place to change the plan.
It’s called a half-time adjustment.
At the half, all those guys that have been communicating through their headsets (screaming is a form of communication isn’t it?) get together. They talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what could be done differently. And then, they craft an amended plan for the second part of the game. These changes, I learned, are called “halftime adjustments.” Well, I don’t know if “halftime adjustment” is an official moniker in the NFL playbook, but I know that’s what it is called. And everybody does it.
So why am I thinking about football in July, when there are absolutely NO GAMES on TV unless you count grainy reruns of Joe Namath? And yes, I actually know who that is.
Here’s why: July 1 is the halfway point in the calendar year. And so July is the month I make my own halftime adjustments to my year’s game plan. In January I write down some goals and plans for coming year. Mid-year I set aside some time to review the first 6 months – what’s working, what needs to change. And then I pray – I consult with God the Ultimate Life Coach – about what adjustments need to be made for the second half.
Why half-time adjustments are necessary
Why do this? Because life happens. We all know that things rarely go as anticipated. Maybe you lose your job, or move cross country, or find out your child has a learning disability, or a special gift. Or maybe you have an illness that has sapped your strength, or are faced with a big decision that took you by surprise.
Or, maybe you discover that your plans are just not realistic. That happens to me a lot. I tend to overestimate how much time I have, and underestimate how much time or energy something will take. A perfectionist, even a perfectionist-in-recovery like me, can make some pretty elaborate plans that have little chance of success. For example:
- eat nothing but vegetables, ever.
- exercise 1.5 hrs. per day. Every day.
- read all my medical journals before the weekend.
- finish writing the last ½ of my book in the next 4 weeks.
It doesn’t take long to fail. And that starts a downward spiral of negative self-talk that can be paralyzing.
So my midyear halftime adjustments are a lifesaver. It forces me to face my limitations and accept that I cannot do as much as I think I can – or do it as quickly as I would like. It helps me to get back on track, and allows me to give myself a break. And it injects a little reality into my overall planning process, so that next week/month/year, I can come up with a more achievable set of goals and strategies. And, I don’t abandon planning altogether.
What do things look like at halftime for you? have you set unrealistic goals for yourself? Or drifted off course from those things you really want to focus on this year? Are there things that need to change? Expectations, and plans, that need to be revised?
Just do it. Take a little time out to reflect and pray. And adjust. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
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