So it’s halfway through 2020. And what a year it’s been!

If you had told me in January what this year would contain, and equally, what it would NOT contain, I am sure I wouldn’t have believed you. I suspect most of us feel the same way!

Way back in January, the year felt full of potential. Even with the events of that time, there was still hope that this year could be ‘the best year yet’, just as all the messaging on social media told us.

A word or phrase for the year?

Back in January, as my country burned in devastating bushfires, and the pandemic was still on the horizon and not yet known, I was struggling with feeling lost.

Everywhere I looked people were setting big goals and sharing their word for the year. Cast your mind back to early January; maybe you choose a word for the year too?

But nothing felt right for me. As a certified coach who supports people set inspiring goals for themselves, I struggled with coming up with a word to shape or define my year.

Eventually, I settled on two words, or a short phrase; simple and light. This was how I planned to live my life this year.

It would be my intention and sanity check. In all things, I was aiming for simple and light.

Simple because there was enough complexity in the world already.

Light because with its multitude of meanings the word spoke to my soul.

For my business, I wanted to keep things simple; focus on supporting my clients in the best way possible, and light because it meant everything feels more aligned and joyful.

For my family, simple and light meant keeping things streamlined (simple) and ensuring the energy of love, happiness, and joy (light) infused everything we chose to do.

Reviewing the year so far

And now here we are, halfway through the year and that short phrase ‘simple and light’ feels like it was quite prescient.

Simple and light was, and remains, my intention for the year.

When we have an intention, it creates a sense of ease. It helps us reprioritize in line with the intention we set. The power of intention is that it acts as a filter to support us be selective about what we engage in, and what we choose not to be part of.

In this way, living with an intention can provide a sense of freedom.

Freedom to choose. Freedom to be yourself.

Thinking about the year so far, my intention for all things to feel simple and light has been tested many times over; in my business, in my life, and in my family.

With major plans and decisions needing to be canceled as a result of natural disasters and global change, returning to the concept of simple and light has often acted as a lifeline.

With the compulsory sheltering in place and physical distancing came new opportunities to explore just how far both I could personally take the concept of simple and light, and my family too.

Certainly, my life has simplified right down.

And as for light – well, we’re working on it! I’m actively embracing my signature strengths which supports me to feel an ease and lightness of spirit, and as a family, we are spending time in new playful and fun ways. Plus, with less consumption and less travel, our impact on the environment is certainly lighter than it would’ve been!

Why a mid-year review?

Perhaps, like me, at first thought, you feel you’ve not achieved much this year, and certainly, your big goals were waylaid by global events. I found myself in a similar headspace, so decided to undertake a quick mid-year review.

Once I allowed myself the time and space to reflect, I was surprised to find I had achieved and accomplished more than I first thought, and had learned A LOT more than I first thought. Some of the learnings were intentional, but much was circumstantial. I suspect we have all learned a lot about ourselves over the past few months of working from home and social distancing…

If you’d like to feel better about your year, or reflect upon what you’ve learned, below are the questions I use for both a quick review and a more in-depth process.

Questions for a quick review

A quick check-in is very helpful for checking you are on track with the intentions or aims you have for the season or for the bigger, bucket list type items you wish to achieve this year and/or your goals for the year.

In keeping with my phrase for this year, I like to keep it simple and reflect on just a few key questions.

Here are some questions you may like to use a guide if you wish to undertake a quick mid-year review.

What are the great things I've achieved in the first 6 months of this year?
How am I feeling about my goals overall?
Do my intentions, aims or goals still feel aligned and appropriate for me, given where I am now?
What have I learned about myself or others?
Do I need to adjust or change my intentions or goals for the rest of the year, based on either what’s happened, how I'm feeling, progress or not, and/or other factors?

I find a reflection exercise like this only requires 15 minutes, which makes finding time to do it pretty easy. And afterward, I feel a renewed sense of purpose, and sometimes, a reason to celebrate, both of which are rather nice!

Questions for a more in-depth review

However, if you have a little more time and are inclined to undertake a more detailed review, you could consider dividing your process into 'completed' and 'still to do' (or 'looking back' and 'looking forward'). The terms used aren't particularly important; just use phrases that feel most appropriate and comfortable for you.

Completed / Looking Back

What are ALL the great things I accomplished over the past six months?
What goals did I achieve?
What am I most proud of?
Are there any goals where I haven't made any progress?
What am I happy to let go?
What have I learned about myself?
Have I made any mistakes? And, what have I learned from them?
Have I been focusing my time on the most important things in my life (e.g. loved ones, working in line with my purpose and passion, utilizing my strengths)?
Can I identify any significant “time-wasting” in the form of habits, activities, or tasks that I need to review or eliminate from my life?

Still to do / Looking forward

What dream or goal do I still really want to take action upon?
Why is this particular dream/goal important to me?
Do I need to adjust or adopt any habits to make this happen?
What am I ready to start anew?
Are there relationships I would like to strengthen and develop during the second half of the year?
What is it I really want to connect with moving forward?
Is there an area I would like to lean into and learn more about?
Do I have the required skills I need to make these goals happen?
Do I need to develop new skills or strengthen current talents?
Do I need to consider and adjust where and how I spend my time?

This in-depth review process requires more deep reflection and will take a longer time than the quick process. You may find 30 minutes is all that is needed, or you might prefer to set aside half a day.

Either way, once you have completed a mid-year review you will obtain a clearer understanding of where you've been and where you are heading. With greater clarity should come renewed focus and action.

After all, that's one of the main reasons a mid-year review is so valuable; to ensure we are taking actions aligned with what we desire from life.

Now is the right time

Taking the time to complete a mid-year review, whether it's quick or in-depth is incredibly beneficial. It's the opportunity to check-in with our hopes, dreams, and goals, and ensure we are on track, aligned with our purpose, and spending our time either with people or doing activities (or both!) that light us up.

Now is the best time to do this - after all, it's only halfway through the year so there is still plenty of time to change direction if you are not on the right path to achieve your dreams and goals.

Here's to you (and me!) taking specific and inspired action towards our dreams and goals in this second half of the year.

Finding the idea of planning for the rest of the year feels a little overwhelming? I get it. It can be daunting to consider living with intention for an entire year, or even six months! This is where the Design Your Season workshop can help. Through the self-guided workshop, you are supported to get very clear and intentional about a three month period (or a time of your choosing), which makes it far more doable. Think of it as an experimental way to practice living with intention and see what changes occur!

Seeking more support to achieve your goals and dreams this year?

If you after you review your year you find yourself ready to make some changes, I’d love to help.

I’d love to help you embrace living with intention and make your goals happen. Along the way, through taking supported action, you’ll gain clarity and boost your confidence too! All coaching begins with a complimentary chat so together we can determine whether coaching is right for you. Book for your complimentary consult today to get started.

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