Chapter Leadership Brief 6.30.2023

Erica Joy West, Charitable Investment Counselor, BVMI

If you're looking at your calendar today and thinking, "Wait a minute, it can’t really be June 30th already!? Where is this year going?" Well, you're not alone. It seems like just yesterday we were clinking champagne glasses and setting New Year’s resolutions— And now I’m sitting here googling “NYC sensory deprivation tanks” to retreat from the intense fiscal year-end push. 

​So now what!? Well, aside from any anxiety you might be feeling, the midway point in the year is, actually, a perfect time to reflect on what has already passed and what is still ahead of you.

I like to plan a mid-year check-in both personally and professionally on the Summer Solstice. The word "solstice" itself is derived from the Latin words "sol," meaning sun, and "sistere," meaning to stand still. During the Solstice, as I watch the sun pause in its journey across the sky before it changes direction, I’m too reminded to pause and take inventory before I shift into the second half of the year.

Wherever you are with your fundraising or personal goals, no matter how far behind you think you are, with six months remaining in the year, you have plenty of time to make changes and produce growth.

Take inventory: What went well?  What didn’t go well? What can you do differently? These simple questions will allow you to see where you need to focus your time and energy over the next six months. In the nonprofit world, we tend to try and focus on everything at the same time. Because everything is important, right? Well, despite these grand expectations, you can’t do everything… at once. You have to choose which strategies will get your attention. When you can let go of everything else and approach your goals with a targeted focus, you’ll surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.