It’s Halftime – we’re halfway into the year. How are you feeling? Have you considered your progress? What have you learned? Use this framework to take stock of the year and make sure you rock the next half.
Reflect
Our reflection time is necessary to understand how we felt during the first half. Where did you find joy? Where did you experience sadness or setback? This is also a perfect time for you to identify why you’re grateful. This can be a quick few minutes or you can let it marinate some. I lean toward the marinate.
My reflection this go around has been hanging out with me for more than a week. There have been moments of frustration, satisfaction and pure gratitude. Find a nook and a notepad or journal. Once you have done your prescribed marinating, it’s time to document what you’ve learned in the last 6 months.
Review
Our review time is where we get granular on the stats. What specifically went well and not so well? Where did you experience real growth or stumble? What annual goals were met or exceeded? What tasks or important projects were completed or somehow got pushed to the back-burner?
Complete a thorough activity analysis. Look through calendar systems, planners, project folders or anything that can tell you what specific activities paid off and which ones need further review or adjustments. Identify what worked and didn’t. Which ones do you want to duplicate or eliminate? I find that when I take the time to do this deep dive, my next half is far more productive and focused on doing the right things that continue the momentum. It will work for you, too!
Reset
A key opportunity during your halftime review is to determine if there’s any significant reset that needs to occur. Take time to assess your annual goals. Are each one of them still relevant? Do you need to make any adjustments? Over a 6-month period, things in our personal lives and work lives can change. There may have been an event that requires a relevancy check. Job changes, promotions, marriage, divorce, new baby, retirement – any ending or new beginning is going to drive change that may spill over into determining if your annual goals are still relevant.
Another element of your reset is to make sure you’re still in alignment with your values. Do your values check before you plan out your focus and key goals for the second half. Keep your foundation strong by maintaining clarity on what’s most important to you. I’ve made significant changes in the past as a result of finding clarity regarding my values. You might experience the same.
Reward
You’ve worked hard the last 6 months. Yes, you have! Before you plan out every detail of what you’ll do in the next half – take time to celebrate and reward yourself for what you have accomplished. Hopefully you’ve been celebrating small victories at least monthly. This is the time to celebrate a BIG victory. What habit or behavior change has stuck? Which one are you most proud of? Pick that victory and reward yourself. Consider a reward that will further your growth in that goal or focus area. Celebrating your progress will go a long way as you prepare to do the last “R”. Make this a priority!
Rally
It’s time for that halftime pep talk. What will you say to yourself? Who and what are going to keep you motivated? What’s your inspiration for the next half? Get really clear on why you want to accomplish the next half’s goals. If you don’t have your “Why” fixed, it’s possible that you might lose momentum. I shared some things that rally me in my previous blog – 7 Ways to Motivate Yourself in 10 Minutes or Less. How will you rally yourself?
Take time before the next half to work through the 5 Rs. As a bonus – here’s a worksheet to complete your Halftime Review and Next Half Plan. Get it HERE. Interested in learning more? Join me each month for my Brown Bag Break where I discuss a personal growth topic and we have an open discussion on how you can keep moving forward.
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