The Power of the Mid-Year Check In

Congratulations! You made it halfway through the year! The past six months have been very busy, and if it was anything like mine, not exactly what I had planned.

Do you remember how you felt watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve on January 1st? Maybe you were filled with excitement as you thought about what was ahead of you in the new year. Maybe you were filled with concern when you looked at what was already on the calendar for the next few months. Despite how you felt, the future came, and you handled it. One way or another, you made it halfway through the year. Way to go!

Mike Tyson's saying, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." applies in both the boxing ring and real life. We covered goal setting in January ("The Power of Goal Setting"), but one of the key components of a strong goal is that it will be challenging to make it happen. That is because goals are the most valuable, where you have to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone and push your known limits. If you aren't getting pushback or challenges, you didn't set your goal appropriately.

While setting the goal is a good first step, tracking your progress toward the goal is key. If it's a goal worth setting, it's a goal worth tracking. Some of us will actually track progress towards goals monthly or weekly (by the way, if you aren't in that group, find a way to start doing that). Tracking helps you understand what's working and where there is room for improvement before you run out of time.

It's healthy to review your goals as you hit certain points in the year, especially the mid-year point. At this moment in the year, you should have enough data to determine if your goals are achievable and what needs to be done to adjust your efforts to achieve them.

Here are a couple of questions you should be asking yourself:

• Is this goal still relevant and important? - maybe something has dramatically changed in your life that has altered your goals. There is no requirement that you keep the goals that you set. It's better to ask yourself this question than to assume it is when it isn't.
• Why is this goal still relevant and important? - reminding yourself of why you are doing hard work and pushing yourself is key to keeping your motivation high. We tend to forget why we are doing something when we face adversity, so it's always good to bring it back into focus.
• What adjustments need to be made to achieve the goal? - You had to make certain assumptions when you were setting your goal. Which ones were accurate? Which ones were not because you didn't have enough data? Make the minor adjustments now in order to have the runway to see them pay off.
• How am I utilizing my time? - This is the number one area where most people can improve. One way to evaluate your time utilization skills is to review your calendar for the past six months. Look at each week, day by day, and mark where you were performing at your peak. How many of the 182 days were you at your peak? Are there any insights or trends you can glean from the review?
• Where can I get feedback on my performance? - We covered receiving feedback last week; now is a great time to ask for feedback. You can request feedback in a formal or informal manner. Regardless of the mechanics, you should be asking what is working and where there is room for improvement. Use the time also to ask how your team is doing towards their goals and if they are making any adjustments to their plans.

Use this moment effectively to improve your chances of achieving your goals for this year. Don't waste the moment!

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