If June could sit across from January for a quick conversation, I imagine January would do most of the talking.
She would excitedly pull out her plans. Her carefully written goals. She would talk about career growth, financial discipline, spiritual consistency, healthier relationships, and all the habits she planned to build.
Honestly, I would let her talk. I would let her enjoy that version of certainty for a little while, because somewhere between January and June, she would be introduced to a different kind of growth. Of course, she might not find it very exciting.
Like many people at the start of a new year, I began with a clear picture of who I wanted to become. What I wanted to do more, setting realistic goals with a high energy.
What I did not anticipate was how much of the past months would be spent learning rather than executing.
The first half of the year has been a steady reminder that life rarely follows the exact script we write for it, and one of the most important things I have learned is the difference between being productive and being stretched, because they are rarely the same.
Productivity often feels measurable. You can see it. You can track it. You can tick it off. Being stretched feels different. It is uncomfortable. It requires patience. It forces growth in areas that were never part of the original plan.
Sometimes it comes through learning, unlearning, and relearning. It comes from doing the hard things, like my bosses will always reiterate, and most especially coming out of your comfort and familiar zone.
Looking back now, I cannot say January me ticked off all her goals. Some goals are still in progress. Some habits need more consistency. Some aspirations have taken longer than expected. if anything, they have been one for the books. Because June now knows things January did not.
She knows that growth is rarely easy or comfortable. And she knows, perhaps most importantly, that there is still so much left to be done, and that is a reason to keep going.
So, if my June self could say something to my January self, it would be this:
“The process will not always be easy — but stay ambitious about your goals, and patient with your growth.”
Do not stop dreaming loudly.
