What Has Surprised Me Most This Year?

As we move through the year, I find myself asking a question that I encourage many of my coaching clients to consider:

"What has surprised you most so far this year?"

Not what went according to plan.

Not what you expected.

But what genuinely surprised you.

For me, the biggest surprise is how quickly time moves when we're busy doing ALL the things. The unexpected personal things that take our focus (for me it was an issue with our well and the weekend without water and the mad rush to move and save a 25’ Maple tree). The busy work things that have distracted us from our goals (staff turnover, office move, surprise audits, etc.). And the actual things we believed would get us where we want to go.

January arrives with excitement. Goals are set. Plans are made. Calendars are color-coded. Vision boards are created. Then suddenly, we're halfway through the year. And sometimes the results don't quite match the effort we've invested.

That realization isn't meant to be discouraging. In fact, it can be one of the most valuable gifts the year gives us. Because it forces us to ask an important question:

"Am I doing the right things, or am I simply doing things right?"

Many successful people fall into a subtle trap. They become incredibly efficient at executing a strategy that is no longer producing the outcome they want.

They work harder.

They become more disciplined.

They push more.

Yet the results remain frustratingly similar.

The truth is that effort and effectiveness are not always the same thing. Sometimes the next level isn't found by doing more. It's found by doing something different.

This year has reminded me that goals don't care about our comfort zones. Goals require adaptation. If the current approach isn't producing the desired outcome, the answer isn't necessarily more effort. The answer may be better questions.

• What am I doing that no longer serves me?

• What am I avoiding because it feels uncomfortable?

• Where am I confusing activity with progress?

• What opportunities am I not seeing because I'm focused on what I've always done?

• If I were starting fresh today, would I choose the same strategy?

The most successful people I know aren't committed to a plan. They're committed to a result. And because they're committed to the result, they're willing to change the plan.

That distinction changes everything.

The middle of the year offers a powerful opportunity. Instead of judging ourselves for where we aren't, we can become curious about what needs to shift.

Maybe it's a business strategy.

Maybe it's a leadership approach.

Maybe it's a habit.

Maybe it's a belief about what's possible.

Maybe it's simply giving ourselves permission to stop carrying something that worked in a previous season but no longer serves this one.

What has surprised me most this year is not what has happened around me. It's how often growth requires letting go of something that once worked.

The good news is that there is still plenty of year left. Plenty of time to pivot. Plenty of time to adjust. Plenty of time to create momentum.

So before charging into the next month, take a moment to reflect.

Ask yourself: What has surprised me most this year?

Then ask the more important question:

What needs to change so I can finish this year stronger than I started it?

Your future results may be waiting on a single decision to do things differently. And sometimes, that decision changes everything.

Karen Freeman