Tomorrow, New and Better Things

Looking for a tangible way to work through a summer goal refresh?! Read to the end to find a link to a free PDF worksheet!

It is mid-July, and we live in Florida. It is not only the hottest month of the year, it is also the muggiest. Unless my destination is more than 30 minutes away, my car will still feel like a steam room by the time I get to where I’m going. I’m often tempted to wear one of those fluffy white towels around my neck as I drive just so I can lean into the vibe and have something to wipe the sweat off the steering wheel. It’s at moments like these, in the dead heat of summer, that I long for the beginning of the year, when things are cool and crisp and new. Not sweltering, humid, and when as Lee in To Kill and Mockingbird describes “Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning.”

And channeling my inner Atticus Finch, Esq. I present to you a defense of the do over. Or as in our house, we call it: New and Better Things. Now’s the time to refresh your intentions in the dead heat of the dead center of the year. Although by this point you may feel as Scout did, that “The only thing good about summer was the fact that school was out.”, there is a hidden opportunity here. It because of the heat, not in spite of it, that a run through a cool sprinkler, a dive into a crystal clear swimming pool, feel the most divine. 

Tomorrow, New and Better Things:

My husband Andy and I love making lists and setting goals. Like anyone else, often we meet those goals and often we don’t. Over the years, we’ve resolved to eat better, go to bed on time, get up on time (often those last two are related), and read more books. But as time marches on, the spark of intention fades. Our resolve wavers and stumbles under the chaos of daily life. Months, weeks, days later, we look back and realize we’ve made little progress toward the goal. At some point, one of us will inevitably bring this up, and the other will confidently declare:

"Tomorrow, New and Better Things!"

This phrase comes with two essential features, miss either one, and the magic disappears. The first is adopting an “Oh well” attitude toward the failed attempt. The second is a wholehearted recommitment to the new and better thing we originally set out to do.

1. The “Oh Well” Mentality

For Type A personalities, this can feel incredibly counterintuitive and even dangerous. At best, it might seem dismissive of discipline; at worst, like you’re just letting yourself off the hook. Many high-achievers fear that if they go easy on themselves, they’ll open the door to laziness and stagnation. But the “Oh well” principle isn’t about permission to fail, it’s about permission to begin again. This mindset doesn’t assume you might fail at your goals; it assumes you will lose resolve along the way. That’s not failure, it’s just part of the work towards the goal. Oh well makes this distinction clear:

• A shame mentality: I lost my resolve, which means I’ve failed and might as well give up.

• An 'Oh well' mentality: I lost my resolve, but that’s only failure if I refuse to recommit and move forward.

  
  

Oh well gives us the freedom to shake off the shame that keeps us stuck in fear and false guilt. It opens the door to humility, persistence, and hope.

2. New and Better Things

Once you have realized your resolve has waned this is the time to turn on the sprinkler and dive back into the pool. When we recommit to our previous goals, it can be like a breath of fresh air that renews your hope. Here’s how to get started: 

How to Audit Your Goals to get to New and Better Things: 

Sometimes the goal is solid but the plan needs adjusting. Use the SMART framework to pinpoint what needs tweaking:

• Specific: Was it clearly defined? Did you know what “done” looked like?

• Measurable: Could you track progress? Did you celebrate small wins?

• Achievable: Was it realistic for your time, energy, and resources?

• Relevant: Did it align with your values and current season of life?

• Time-bound: Did you have a clear timeline? Was it flexible when needed? 

• Final Check: Which area needs the most adjustment? Do you need to restart, revise, or release this goal?

  
  

So this summer, don’t let the rising temperatures melt your intention, use them to remind you that this is mid-year, and you’re always going to work up a sweat when you are pursuing something true, good, or beautiful. Take heart! You haven’t forgotten your intention entirely and that’s half the battle! Take courage from the wisdom of Lee and scripture: 

• “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” — Atticus Finch
  

• "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." — Isaiah 40:30–31 (NIV)

  
  

Sometimes you’re licked, sometimes you faint and grow weary. Begin again anyway. Hope in the Lord and renew your strength. Tomorrow, new and better things my friend! 

Don't forget to download the PDF Summer Goal Refresh Worksheet below! It fleshes out each of the steps in the SMART framework even more!

Summer Goal Refresh Worksheet