Evaluation is the way to make progress in anything that you do. If you do not have a standard to compare your work to, then you will find yourself spinning in circles.
The best way to get out of the goal-setting – motivation loss – underachieving cycle is to try a mid year review. There is so much emphasis put on creating goals at the beginning of the year, but not much content on sustaining your work ethic as the year progresses.
Mid-year reviews give you the opportunity to:
- Begin again – Thus changing the trajectory of your year
- Modify your goals – Fine-tuning your goals to accommodate the experiences you’ve had in the first part of the year.
- Redefine your priorities – If the goals that you set at the beginning of the year are not serving you, then this is the time to create new goals that will bring you closer to the person you want to be.
Reviewing your progress throughout the year is an extremely important part of personal development. You are only in a competition against yourself and you need a system that will show you the results of your hard work.
![mid-year review](https://thrivingindependently.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mid-year-review-1024x683.webp)
To grow as people, we need to find new ways to get accustomed to change and adapt to new circumstances. Life rarely goes exactly the way that we have planned, especially in the short term. A mid-year review is an opportunity for you to reaffirm your priorities and see out the vision that you created at the beginning of the year.
The best goals are the ones that center around what you can control. For example: if you have gotten serious about losing weight, you may make a goal of losing a certain number of pounds or inches off of your waist. This can be effective for some; however, most people will become unmotivated when they do not see immediate results.
A better goal to set would be to work out three times a week. This goal is completely within your control and you can easily measure your output.
You may achieve the same results as if you set a weight goal initially, but focusing on building the habit of going to the gym will help you sustain your progress. If you set the standard of working out three times a week and you do not hit the goal, then you have not reached your standard.
What is the goal of a mid-year review?
The goal of a mid-year review is to get an assessment of the first six months of the year and to establish a plan for the second half of the year.
Reviewing the first half of the year helps you to see what worked and what didn’t, your areas of growth, as well as the places where you can stand to improve.
People who neglect to do a midyear review often do not achieve their goals. If your goals aren’t highly visible and align with you as you are, then they won’t be a priority. A mid-year review can serve as a new opportunity for you to work towards your goals.
Benchmarks such as the start of a new year, new semester, birthday, etc. all bring excitement and a new sense of purpose.
They feel like a fresh start and are accompanied by new inspiration and motivation. A mid-year review can have the same results.
Reflection
The first part of a good mid-year review is reflection. If you are doing a mid-year review for yourself, you likely began the year with goals. This is your opportunity to reflect on the goals you set, your strategy and the results you received.
This part is important because it will dictate the steps you take in the latter part of the year. You must adjust your strategy to be more effective.
If you saw great success in the first 6 months of the year then you can double down on your strategies. If you saw no growth, then you will reevaluate the strategy you set initially.
Here are a few questions that will enhance your reflection over the first half of the year:
- What worked well?
- What didn’t work well?
- Did the first half of the year reflect the vision you created at the beginning of the year?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- Did your goals at the beginning of the year serve you well?
The goal is not to create a perfect strategy rather review your goals from the beginning of the year and see what progress you’ve made.
Reflecting on your goals for the year will give you valuable insight into what you can accomplish in 6 months. You may find that your goals were too easy or unreasonable and you can adjust accordingly.
![mid year review examples](https://thrivingindependently.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mid-year-review-examples-1024x683.webp)
Overcoming Challenges
An important part to consider when doing a mid-year review is the challenges that you faced along the way. Sometimes it is easy to forget how far we have come and the sacrifices we’ve made to get where we are.
Documenting the challenges you’ve faced in the first part of the year is valuable in a mid-year review.
Maybe you’ve never had a year where you make a plan and actually stick to it. It is completely new territory and you have experienced things that you didn’t expect. These types of scenarios are great to include.
You should also consider the solutions you found to overcome these challenges. You never know what life will grow at you and it’s best to be prepared for the unexpected.
Celebrate the wins
On a personal growth journey, you should always celebrate the wins. Rewarding yourself keeps the journey fun, interesting and fulfilling. There is value in enjoying the fruits of your labor or at the bare minimum acknowledging your success.
You can reward yourself with time, reducing the amount of work that you have to do, material items, or experiences.
These rewards should be compelling enough that they entice you to move towards your goals.
Introducing balance into your life will not only make you more effective at reaching your goals, but the journey will feel much more worthwhile.
Nothing that is worth having ever came easy and that applies to you achieving your goals. Oftentimes the journey is long and mundane and you grow slowly by repeating the same actions. If you try to reach your goals with willpower alone, you will run out of steam very quickly.
Rewards and celebrating can serve as checkpoints so that your overall goal is not so out of reach.
Some questions to ask yourself when you have trouble celebrating your accomplishments are:
- What are you most proud of in the first six months?
- Did you celebrate your progress throughout the first half of the year?
- Create a benchmark reward system for the latter half of the year.
These questions will be a great start to a mid-year review.
Planning
After you have reflected on the year and celebrated your accomplishments, you will be prepared to begin planning for the rest of the year.
This process will feel similar to what you did last year, now is the time to adjust your plan to a system that will work for you. You can change the weaknesses of the plan that you created earlier in the year and progress even faster.
One of the main benefits of a mid-year review is the data that you have from your actions. You know your habits, strengths and weaknesses by now, so you can be more accurate in what you plan to achieve.
In planning, you want to assess your vision for your life. Reconsider the steps that will get you to where you want to be and consider the path that you have chosen.
Some great questions to assist you with the planning section of the mid-year review are:
- Does the plan you created at the beginning of the year still apply?
- What will you do to build on the success you had in the first part of the year?
- How can you avoid the challenges you faced earlier in the year?
![mid year review questions](https://thrivingindependently.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mid-year-review-questions-1024x683.webp)
Executing
The final part of the mid-year review is execution! This will be the shortest because this section is all about action. Once you have written down your reflections and created a plan, you must act on it.
At this point you can start making the necessary arrangements you need to succeed. Whether it is investing in yourself or changing your environment, it is up to you to determine the outcome of your year.
Use the mid-year review as a launchpad to get you where you want to be.
Final Thoughts
Now you have learned the steps to create an effective mid-year review. I hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to change your life.
Let us know the insights you gained from doing a personal mid-year review in the comments section below!
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