Q2 Ended and I Barely Noticed: A Hard Look at Priorities and Momentum

There are weeks where everything hums along like clockwork. And then there are weeks like the one I just had — where the rhythm feels off, unexpected events shake up your priorities, and you’re left sorting through both the disruptions and the breakthroughs.

This past week was the latter. Not chaotic, exactly — but filled with those little curveballs that force you to pause, reflect, and realign.

Let me start with something I didn’t realize until embarrassingly late in the game: it was the end of the second quarter. Yep — Q2 was wrapping up, and I didn’t even notice until I looked up from my desk, calendar blinking “June 30” at me. Now, to be fair, I knew that conceptually — I wasn’t unaware of the date. But I hadn't internalized what it meant.

Because here's the truth: for me, and for a lot of businesses, the real heavy lifting of the year gets done by the end of September. By Q4, things slow down. People take time off. Holidays sneak up. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and everything in between — November and December vanish in a haze of parties, travel, and reflection. If you haven’t hit your major goals by the end of Q3, it gets exponentially harder to make up ground in Q4.

So now’s the window. Q3 is go-time.

And strangely enough, despite the distractions, I’ve been building momentum. May was bumpy. But something clicked mid-June. The team found its rhythm. Operations began syncing up. Meetings stopped feeling like status reports and started becoming strategy sessions. We hired a new attorney — someone with deep experience who recently moved from out west to North Carolina — and we’re excited to see what they bring to the firm. We also brought on additional staff to support growth, and I can already feel the difference. I left several of our leadership meetings this week energized — not something you can always say after digging into budgets and projections.

But outside the office, things were a little more...complicated.

Earlier this week, news broke about U.S. military action in Iraq — specifically targeting their nuclear facilities. Almost immediately, headlines exploded. Twitter (or X, if you prefer) was a firestorm. News outlets jumped into doomsday-mode. Everyone was talking about war.

That might feel distant to some people, but not in my house. I’ve got two sons — both in college, both over 18 — and that kind of news hits differently when you're right in the age bracket for selective service. Suddenly, theoretical war talk becomes personal. We had some serious conversations that night about what military service really means, what the draft system looks like, and how the U.S. military is still volunteer-based. We talked about how fear spreads faster than facts — especially online. And honestly, those conversations were needed. Not just for them, but for me.

It’s humbling as a parent to try and balance reassurance with honesty — to teach your kids to think critically about current events, while also helping them manage the emotional weight of those conversations. It reminded me just how fast the world moves and how important it is to slow down and talk through the noise.

Meanwhile, I had my own little medical detour — nothing serious, just a debate over a routine medication. I got two completely opposite recommendations from two different doctors. One said, “Don’t stress.” The other said, “Actually, stress a lot.”

Now, when it’s something small, it’s easy to brush off. But I couldn’t help but think of our clients — the people we serve at Shane Smith Law — who face this exact situation all the time, but with real stakes: surgery or no surgery? Long-term recovery or quick fix? One specialist says yes, another says no. And they’re left in the middle, scared, in pain, unsure what to believe.

This week gave me a small glimpse into how frustrating that feels — being told two totally different things and having to make a call anyway. It reminded me that even “minor” health decisions don’t feel minor when you’re the one living them. Multiply that by ten when you’re in recovery from a car wreck or traumatic brain injury. That’s the pressure our clients carry daily. And we never lose sight of that.

On a lighter note — food brought some unexpected joy. One of my son’s friends has a family-owned Mexican restaurant, and he playfully gave me grief for always going to the “other” spot in Peachtree City. I didn’t really have an excuse — it’s just habit. But that called for a course correction.

So later in the week, while passing through Fairburn, I texted him and asked for their restaurant’s location. Turns out, he’s actually the manager there. So we popped in for dinner — and it was fantastic. Killer queso, great fajitas, super friendly staff. It was packed for a Thursday, which says something. Sometimes the best experiences are the ones you didn’t plan — and it felt good to break the routine, support a local business, and reconnect with people who care.

Another wrinkle this week: we were supposed to close on a piece of land in Peachtree City. Closing day came and went... and nothing. Delayed until next week. Not the end of the world, but I don’t love abrupt changes. Especially when plans were already set. Still — hoping for a smooth close next week. Fingers crossed.

And of course, Luna — our dog — kept things interesting. She’s growing fast. She’s also discovered the joy of water, which is a funny thing to watch. She doesn’t quite swim, but she loves the kiddie pool. More accurately, she loves the filling of the kiddie pool. And the draining. And the wet concrete after. She’s not sure about splashing around in it, but she’s obsessed with the process. Classic Luna.

Lastly, for my fellow fight fans — this week was UFC International Fight Week. Normally we’re in Vegas for it. This year, we stayed back since we caught the Atlanta fights just a couple weeks ago. But I still watched every round — all the prelims, early prelims, and main card.

Charles Oliveira fought again — a former champion, a legend. But man... once you’ve had a couple bad knockouts, they just seem to come easier. The brain doesn’t bounce back the same. It was another tough loss for him, and honestly, watching it unfold reinforced what our Mind Matters podcast often talks about: the long-term effects of concussions. In combat sports — and in real life — head injuries compound. Once you’ve had one, your risk goes way up. That’s something we take seriously in our work with TBI survivors. Seeing it play out in the Octagon is a powerful reminder of how real that risk is.

So that was the week — a weird blend of growth, tension, tacos, and reflection.

Not everything went to plan. But I’m ending the week clearer about what matters, what I’m working toward, and how I want to show up in Q3. Sometimes the most meaningful progress doesn’t look like a checklist of wins — it looks like navigating the mess with some grace, good food, and the people (and pups) that ground you.

Let’s go crush Q3. And remember: In pain, call Shane! 980-999-9999.