The Power of a Mid-Year Review: Are You Where You Thought You’d Be?
For many companies, the end of the financial year also means it’s time for mid-year reviews. Maybe you’ve just completed one for your role or your team. But have you conducted one on your own life?
We’re now halfway through the year, and this is the perfect moment to look back on what you wanted to achieve and plan ahead to ensure you’re heading towards the best possible December 31st.
Why Do Your Own Mid-Year Review?
There’s a concept called the action-reflection cycle, which highlights how we make progress over time by reflecting on our experiences and using what we learn to refine our path forward. It’s known by different names and sometimes has three stages, sometimes four, but the essence is this:
You have an experience—in this case, the year so far.
You reflect on that experience—we’ll dive into how to do this in the next section.
You use what you’ve learned from that reflection to plan the way forward—the remainder of your year.
This process allows you to take everything you’ve learned from the first half of the year about what’s working and what isn’t, and use it to set yourself up for success in the months ahead.
How to Do a Mid-Year Review
Start with Your Goals
The first place to begin a personal mid-year review is with any goals you set for yourself this year. If you’ve already articulated what you’re focusing on, you’re in a strong position to reflect on your progress. For each goal, ask yourself:
Am I where I thought I’d be by now?
If I’m doing as well or better than expected, what’s really working, and why? Is there something I can learn from this success that can be applied to other areas of my life?
If I’m not as far along as I expected, what’s getting in my way? Is it something I can control? What different approaches could I try instead of repeating something that isn’t working?
If you haven’t written down any goals but want to give it a go, Michael Hyatt offers a great basic guide that can help you get started.
Survey the Bigger Picture
Whether or not you started the year with written goals, it’s crucial to take a step back and look at the broader landscape of your life over the last six months. Ask yourself:
How have I grown?
Do I feel more or less connected to the important people in my life?
Am I more or less physically healthy?
Do the rhythms of my life feel more or less balanced?
What have I learned? About myself? About others? About the world?
Do I feel more or less at peace and secure in my spiritual life?
Are my thoughts more focused on myself, or am I more attuned to others and a larger cause?
How have I progressed toward milestones related to my vocation or calling?
Planning the Way Forward
Once you’ve reviewed and reflected on the year to date—both in relation to your goals and the bigger picture—it’s time to act on what you’ve learned.
In areas where progress has been slow or where you’ve fallen out of balance, think about what needs to change to create a healthier picture. Is it discipline? Margin? Community? Accountability?
In areas where you’re seeing momentum, consider whether to continue as you are, invest more deeply, or reallocate some of that energy to other areas of your life that need attention. Reflect on whether there’s anything you can learn from a flourishing part of your life that might benefit other areas.
Your plan can be as formal or informal as you like, but consider choosing three key areas to focus on for the rest of the year. For each one, articulate a clear change you’ll make and how often you’ll do it. You might also want to add some form of tracking or accountability.
Once you’ve identified the three key changes, write them down and place them somewhere you’ll see them regularly.
Finally, remember that your goals should be meaningful to you personally and should align with the life you want to live—not just the goals you think you should be working towards. That’s what it means to live a deliberate life.