Mid-Year Check-up:
Are Your Goals Still On Track?
As we hit the mid-point of the year, it’s the perfect time for a reality check on those ambitious New Year’s resolutions and goals. Remember the enthusiasm and clarity you felt back in January? Now, six months in, where do you stand?
For many, this mid-year mark reveals one of two distinct scenarios:
The Goal Achievers: On Track and Adapting
Some individuals are sailing smoothly. They’ve been diligently tracking their progress, making necessary adjustments, and consistently working towards their objectives.
Perhaps they’ve even surpassed some initial targets or developed clear plans to ensure they meet the remaining ones.
This group understands that goal achievement isn’t always a straight line; it involves consistent effort, adaptability, and regular self-assessment.
The Goal Shelvers: Procrastination and Postponement
Then there’s the other side of the coin. For many, those well-intentioned goals have been relegated to the back burner, pushed aside by daily demands, unexpected challenges, or simply a lack of sustained motivation.
The initial enthusiasm has waned, and deadlines are being continually stretched into an ever-receding future. It’s a common trap that can lead to feelings of frustration and disappointment.
Where Do You Stand?
It’s crucial to be honest with yourself during this mid-year review.
- Are you actively working on your goals?
- Do you have a clear understanding of your progress?
- Have you made any necessary adjustments to your approach?
- Or have your goals become distant memories, perhaps just a fleeting thought when you stumble upon an old to-do list?
This isn’t about judgment; it’s about acknowledging your current reality so you can make course corrections if needed. The good news is that mid-year is still plenty of time to reignite your focus, redefine your approach, or even set new, more realistic goals for the remainder of the year.
Here are some strategies for getting back on track, re-energizing your commitment, and ensuring the second half of the year is a period of productive goal pursuit!
Reevaluate the plan.
You’ve had six months of experience to understand what your capacity, motivation and resource levels are. This means that you can realistically set a course that will enable you to achieve or make a significant contribution to your overall goal. Also, use the information you know about what gets in the way to plan for the huddles.
Make a plan for the hard times
If you don’t make a plan or allowance for setbacks, you won’t have room to move when they do occur. Perhaps you can agree with yourself to complete one to three daily steps, regardless of their size, and focus on accomplishing them as your target.
Remember, what you do contributes to the overall plan, so if you can break it up into small pieces, you can more easily manage the load. Perhaps it’s involving someone else by sharing your frustrations and achievements – someone supportive who is also working on their own goals and understands the journey.
Track no matter what
You can only make informed decisions based on data, not on memories and feelings. Recording what you do and don’t do will help you make better decisions upon reflection. Use the information to help you be better, not as a judgment tool that demotivates.
Keep it simple so that you are not distracted by the project of creating data collection charts and tools (I see you.) The main point here is to know at a glance where you are, where you’re going, and what it’ll take to get there.
Whatever happens, please be patient and kind to yourself. Acknowledge what you are trying to achieve and remember what’s at the finish line that will make this all worth it. Get help if you must, but do not quit.