As it turns out, 2011 is nearly half over.  Today being the summer solstice, we are embarking on the second two seasons of the year.  The latter half.  Winter and spring passed for me in a flurry of activity, reflection and big life changes.  And I find myself here, in the thick of things.

I wanted to find a good way to celebrate the summer solstice, but I hadn’t planned anything specific.  So, I took the kids outside.  We spent hours enjoying a blissfully warm (hot, but not too hot) day, hiking in the woods, wading in the river, and running (or crawling) through the buttercups.  I brought my camera, and practiced snapping portraits.  It felt glorious.

Today’s summer solstice also happens to be the first official day of my professional motherhood.  Any other Tuesday night, I would be working at the library. Instead, I am at home, writing.  That also feels great.

So, to cap off the celebration, I thought I’d go introspective.  Take a look back, and also forward.  For the first time since starting my blog, I have decided to go back and read over all of the goals I have set for myself this year.  Some goals, I have accomplished with leaps and bounds.  On others, I have made significant progress.  And on others, I still fall woefully short (running…ahem…we’ll deal with that later).

It turns out there are so many, I will probably need a post to deal with each one.  Which is a good thing, since it will keep me thinking and reflecting, on…oh… what exactly am I doing again?  Regardless, just looking over them has invigorated me, and made me realize just how far I’ve come these past few months.  Both in my own self-awareness, and the actual completion (or, more accurately, inhabiting) of my goals.

Which makes me, for the umpteenth time, so thankful that I started this blog.  I can’t count the number of ways writing it has changed and challenged me (a topic for another post).

And because (as it turns out), I like to assume grand challenges for myself, and then state them here, reading over my goals has caused me to create yet another one.

I am going to use the seasonal solstices as check-ins.  Times of reflection to go over my goals, re-focus and propel myself forward.

There it is, in quotes.  Something about doing this for the solstices appeals to me.  It just feels rhythmic.  Beautiful and inspiring in a way that “quarterly reports” do not.  So, there it is.  The seasonal me.  A new ritual to tie me to myself, and my environment, and to that elusive cycle of life.  I’m sure there’s something incredibly symbolic in all of this, somewhere.

So, for the next few weeks, I’ll be checking in with my goals.  Checking in, and stepping up.  And, finally, a hearty welcome to summer everyone!

And you?  How did you celebrate the solstice?  And how do you stay focused on your goals as the seasons progress?