Halftime Break, Mid-Year Review – TPW402

This week we discuss the importance of taking time for an effective mid-year review and how it can benefit us throughout the rest of 2022.

July is a good time to take stock of our goals and how we are doing so far in 2022

Believe it or not, we’ve passed the halfway mark of 2022. Time feels like it’s flying by. We've just passed the summer solstice for those of us in the northern hemisphere; it’s summer-hot here in Texas. For our friends in the southern hemisphere, it’s wintertime. I read that July is typically the coldest month in Australia.  

Either way, it’s a great time to settle in with a cold or hot beverage, depending on which hemisphere you live in, and pause to reflect on where things stand in terms of your goals and plans for the year. 

Although this is something I do around this time every year, I started thinking about this a few weeks ago when I randomly watched a documentary (I think it was on Netflix) about Jennifer Lopez, called Halftime. It was structured around her preparations for and performance at the Super Bowl halftime show last year, but also talked about her feelings about turning 50 and her thoughts about this next stage of her life. 

Halftime in American football is a break from the action, a time for those on the field to go into the locker room, rest, evaluate how the first half went, and make adjustments to the plan for the second half. The same thing can help with our year . . . we call it a mid-year review.

Why do a midyear review?

* It helps foster awareness and intentionality in how you’re living your life by giving you time to evaluate if and how you’re progressing toward your goals and in general toward making a life that matters as you define it. 

* Gives you a break from the action, a chance to pull back for a big-picture look at the field, get some perspective, and make any necessary course corrections.

* One article I read identifies the following major benefits: 

* Determine if your actions are progressing you towards your goals 

* Determine if you are progressing at the right speed (i.e. will you reach your goal on time?) 

* Determine if your goals are still relevant 

* Understand the challenges you have faced and what learnings you can make 

* Identify more effective or efficient methods of achieving your goal

* Another writer notes that an effective halftime pause can result in “decreased anxiety, increased motivation, increased focus, and decreased wasted time.” 

* Applies to both personal and professional lives; recommend doing it for both

What materials do you need?

* Calendar 

* Master to-do list if you use one 

* Goals if you set any 

* Notebook or journal (digital or analog) 

* Snacks & beverage 

* Consider doing a time log for a week before you do your review (get a good look at how you’re actually using your time)

Prompts and ideas

1. A traditional mid-year review involves looking at your calendar

Take a look at your to-do list, goals list, etc., evaluating your progress, what still needs to be done, and developing a plan to complete them. If you set goals for the year, look at them.

* Which have you accomplished? (Celebrate!) 

* Which are on target for completion? Brainstorm the remaining steps and schedule the next step 

* Which have you abandoned or modified/replaced/postpon...