It’s mid-July and you know what that means?  Yup, we are just a little more than half the way through this year.

And, yes, it has been an epic year so far…I won’t enumerate – you’re living it with me, so you already know.  And I mean epic in the classical sense – a (typically long and possibly unending) story of the deeds and adventures of heroic people! 

And yes, we’re only half the way through it.  Ugh.

But being halfway through is a good time to stop, pick our collective heads up, take a deep breath, and look around.  How are we doing?   

But think back…in January, we didn’t know any of this was coming and we knew the year was full of promise.   And we talked about the 2020 vision we’d have this year.  You might remember that we talked about this here.I suggested you take a smarter path that started with examining your life (your whole life!) and finding the balance for your harp within that.

And of course, I exhorted you to practice.  And then I gave you a long list of things to practice.  I also pointed out that you would do exactly as much work as you fit in and encouraged you to form goals that would be do-able.

So, half the year has gone by.  Do you remember your goals (because I am confident you wrote them down as I suggested)?  How are you coming?

Did you, at any time throughout the current upheaval we are all experiencing, modify those goals?  Did you look at your world and how the world outside you is impacting your world, and modify what you expected to accomplish as a harper this year? 

Gosh, I sure hope so!  Because this has been a doozy of a year!  We certainly didn’t see it coming.  And all of us have been impacted in one way or another (or by a number of ways, in quick succession, in a seemingly coordinated attack!).  And we have all had varying levels of success with coping, adapting, and overcoming everything. 

I’d like to encourage you to revisit the things you set out to do for yourself.  Then do the following:

1. Bring out a big marker (or eraser) and (at least mentally) cross off those things that just are not going to serve you in the six months or so we have remaining in 2020.
2. Sift through your goals and keep the ones that still make sense…and are do-able.
3. Capture, but hold for later, those that are still important to you but are not currently realistic – especially since we don’t know when things will revert to what we were expecting.   And
4. Boldly, ceremoniously and with a great deal of fanfare, toss the ones that just are not serving you!  (yes, you can do that!).

There’s one more thing you need to do and that is to note all the things you have done so far this year.  Especially the ones you never even imaged!  Things that come to mind:

• Learning to play to your computer
• Learning to not play for other people (!)
• Learning where to look so you look like you’re looking at the other person (and dealing with not being able to see them so that you look like you can).
• Figuring out new software to have lessons or harp circles or play dates
• Learning that you really do have to wait for the other person to finish – and wait your turn.
• Learning to deal with the fatigue which seems to be unique to spending all day on your computer, even if previously you thought you spent all day on your computer!
• Coping in the face of unending uncertainty (and helping others do the same)

So, on balance, you’re probably having a good and productive year.  Let’s make sure your goals match and that you’re taking credit for what you have accomplished so far.  I’m sure there are even more things you have learned – both related and unrelated to playing the harp – share them in the comments.