By Dawn Onley

In approximately 10 days, we will be mid-way through this year. Although hard to believe how quickly the time has flown by — the same as every year — the milestone marks as good a time as any to assess where we started in January, where we’re headed in December, and where we are right now.

It’s also a great opportunity to check our momentum gauge to see that it’s still on FULL, and if not, to quickly fill up our engines. Because, it’s too early for us to be on empty. And also because there is too much work to do.

I’m guessing there have been setbacks. You may have hoped to lose 10 pounds by now, but since you are constantly working, it’s so much easier to grab fast food for dinner, right? You planned to brainstorm names for your business but you haven’t had the time. I get it. I completely understand. It’s the same old trap. Before long, it’ll be October and soon after we’ll be singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Unless we push through this line of reasoning and our exhaustion and whatever else stands in the way, we’ll never gain ground. Sure, it takes more preparation and is more time-consuming to do meal planning and to limit foods that work against our goals. Sure, we must sacrifice. Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, it may require an initial financial investment to get started. It’s wise to have an accountability partner. You bet it takes discipline and requires us to be relentless.

So what? We knew it wouldn’t be easy. We’ve thought about this for a long time. We must be committed to the relationship of building our best selves. We must fight to get to this next level. Mediocrity takes little effort. We are striving for greatness. That takes everything we’ve got.

One of the things that stands out the most to me about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which commenced on Dec. 5, 1955, a few days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, was the unwavering commitment that working African-Americans had to effectuate change. We’ve seen the video footage of people walking to work, but did you know that some people even rode mules to work? For one whole year? Do you know how singularly focused on the goal it would take for someone to ride a mule for miles to work each day? The boycott was for equal treatment and civil rights, certainly, but let’s talk about the sacrifice and determination needed to achieve this goal. And some of us have already quit going to the gym or eating healthy or believing that we have what it takes to succeed. We could all stand to learn something from the boycotters.

Any goal worth reaching requires a new level of effort. Think about it. If it took the same level of effort that we are currently putting out, we’d all be there by now. In order to get someplace we’ve never gone, we must do something we’ve never done.

Midway through the year, it’s time to fill up our tanks. We can’t lose our energy. We can’t lose ground. We can’t lose focus. We are so close. We must KEEP PUSHING.

Let’s learn about things that will build up our resistance to quit. Let’s examine a different approach — one that may work better for us. Let’s readjust our attitudes about failing – realizing that failure increases our knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. Let’s understand that “failing” does not mean “failure,” it actually means success because there is no success without failure. Let’s try to fail more often because it means we are in the arena and we are giving it a shot.

Whatever it takes, let’s move that stubborn needle one step further. Just ONE step. Right now. For our best selves, let’s rev up, put the pedal to the metal and take off.