Mid-Year Check-In: How to flourish for the rest of the year

As we make it past the midpoint of the year, and also celebrate Matariki here in New Zealand, it’s a fantastic time to pause, reflect, and evaluate our current goals and intentions.

Doing regular check-ins can be a valuable practice that can help us assess our progress, make necessary adjustments, and set ourselves up for success in the remaining months of the year.

I know many business owners are feeling flat, unmotivated and scattered at the moment, which is why now is the perfect time to evaluate your goals and intentions.

Here’s an Effective Mid-year Goal Check-In Process:

1. Review Progress

Take this ideal opportunity to review the last 6 months. What worked in your business, what didn’t? What did you achieve and what fell short or never got off the ground. Review the goals and intentions that you set. How are you doing with the progress for these? Are you on track or falling behind? By reviewing your progress, you gain insights into what strategies have worked well and what adjustments may be required.

2. Celebrate Your Wins

It is easy to focus on all the things that aren’t right, the problems and where the business goals are falling short. Usually there is plenty to celebrate though and it is important to acknowledge and take a moment to celebrate the wins you and your team have created. This can inject some much-needed energy into the space to move forward with excitement.

3. Identify the Shortfalls

If you find yourself off track or falling short, the first step is to identify the factors contributing to the deviation. Pinpoint any obstacles, distractions, or unforeseen circumstances that have hindered your progress. This will help you understand what needs to change to get back on track.

4. Be honest, not harsh

It is easy to beat ourselves or our team up if we are falling behind on the business goals we set at the start of the year. It’s ok to be behind. That isn’t a reason to be harsh on yourself or others. Instead, be honest. Look at what is really going on, as uncomfortable as it might be. Don’t just make assumptions, but look at the real data. Check the stats you have to see what is actually happening. With the truth and honestly of what has caused the gap, you can move forward as a business with an empowered plan.

5. Self-reflection

Are there internal blocks going on with your mindset and Inner Game that need to be worked on? If you are constantly procrastinating or resisting doing the actions that are needed, it is usually our Inner Game that needs shifting to get us back on track with our goals. Take some time to reflect if you are stopping yourself or whether it is truly external factors. Often, we are (unintentionally) our own biggest stopper of our goals.

6. Meaningful Reflection

By reviewing your goals and intentions, you can also determine if they are still relevant and aligned with your long-term vision of what you want to create. It enables you to check in with whether the goals and intentions you are working towards are still meaningful to you and the business. If they are no longer the right goals and intentions then change them.

7. Create your plan

Once you’ve identified the areas where you’ve fallen behind, it’s time to make adjustments and prioritise your efforts on the important actions that will get you back on track. Break down your goals into smaller, manageable tasks and create a plan to tackle them systematically. Don’t hesitate to seek support from your team or external resources, like a business coach to help you regain momentum. Allow some buffer time in your plans so that you are not setting yourself up to fail. We often over-estimate what we can achieve in a year, and under-estimate what we can in 5 years.

8. Follow through and adjust

You have your plan, now it is time to make it happen. Take the important actions that you need to and make adjustments as you need to.

The mid-year goal check-in is a fabulous time for small business owners to reflect, readjust, and reignite their commitment to what they want to create.

By taking the time to evaluate your progress, realign your goals, and make a solid plan, you set the stage for achieving the goals and intentions that are meaningful in the second half of the year.