Today I want to share with you exactly how I do my first personal mid year checkin. Taking inspiration from my personal development role models.
My blog post will be filled with information and useful resources. Since you’ve been looking for a mid-year review you probably know its benefits. As a little reminder, I’ll write them down below again.
Why you should do a Mid-Year Checkin:
If you, like me, struggle with achieving your goals and kinda lose track of them in the middle of the year then a mid-year review will help you.
- Reflection and Assessment: It allows you to pause and reflect on the progress you’ve made towards your goals since the beginning of the year. Are you on track or if adjustments are needed.
- Course Correction: If you identify areas where you haven’t made as much progress as you’d hoped, a mid-year review provides an opportunity to course correct.
- Recognition of Achievements: Celebrating your successes, both big and small, boosts morale and motivation. A mid-year review lets you acknowledge and appreciate the milestones you’ve reached so far, which can energize you for the rest of the year.
- Alignment with Long-term Goals: It helps ensure that your daily activities and short-term goals are aligned with your broader, long-term aspirations. This alignment is crucial for maintaining focus and staying motivated throughout the year.
- Improved Planning and Organization: Reviewing your progress halfway through the year allows you to better plan for the remainder of the year. You can set more realistic timelines and prioritize tasks based on current insights and circumstances.
- Enhanced Accountability: Holding yourself accountable during a mid-year review encourages a sense of responsibility for your goals and commitments. It helps you stay disciplined and committed to achieving what you’ve set out to accomplish.
My Personal Mid-Year Review Process
In order to create my ideal Mid Year Review I took a look at my favorite self-development role models and their mid-year checkins/ annual reviews.
1. A Gratitude List
I took inspiration from Ali Abdaals’s annual review and started with a gratitude list. In the back of my mind I always think I haven’t done enough. But seeing all the things that I have actually accomplished I can’t help feeling proud and grateful. Here are a few things I am super grateful for:
As you can see since the birth of my little one business stuff has been put on the backburner.
Still, I am immensely grateful to be able to raise him and not go to work right after giving birth.
2. Mid Year Self Evaluation - 3 Key Questions
Next I used James Clear’s 3 Key questions that he answers in his annual reviews.I used Notion to write down my insights.
- What went well this year?
- What didn’t go so well this year?
- What am I working toward?
1. What went well the last 6 months?
Family:
My little one is growing well and started walking. I have established a routine that works for us. I introduced him to a wide variety of veggies. We started potty training and it goes well. We managed to go to his Korean family once. I am super proud we handled the 12 hour flight so well. We joined two mommy-baby groups and he has been meeting a lot of other babies his age. Next half of the year I’d like to travel with him a little more. And we are surrounded by water, I want to take a baby swimming course with him. Therefore, I need to register a car.
Work:
It has been hard with baby to do much of anything. Alas I have finally started to work again while he sleeps. I finally fixed our internet problem. Created 3 Etsy products and started on this blog again. For the next half of the year I want to create regular posts again and regular emails to my newsletter.
Health:
Super proud that I manage to cook healthy foods for me and my baby almost every day. I started to workout again albeit irregularly and went from 63kg to 52,5kg. I lost all my pregnancy kilogramms. My belly still bothers me a bit. For the next half of the year I want to start a regular workout routine. (Also to be a role model for my baby)
Mindset:
I am a lot less of a perfectionist. I don’t make meter-long to-do lists and take the day more chill. When I have time to work I work, if not I don’t beat myself up for it. As long as I move forward I am proud.
2. What didn’t go so well:
Admin:
I am lagging behind in all of my admin tasks. From tax declarations to simple forms to fill out.
Writing:
Blogposts… I failed since I didn’t write and publish anything. I want to do it and will do it from now on. My articles will be here again.
Earning Money Online:
Also has been on the backburner. I want to be able to stay with my kids at home. I want to teach them and be by their side when they learn new things. I am proud to be a stay at home mum. I want to give my baby the best chances. So I need to make money remotely. Would you be interested on a serious, where I try to make an income online?
3. What am I working towards?
There are a lot of things I wish and work for in life. Here are 6 fundamental points that I want to achieve:
Freedom
I want to be financially free, and also free to be where I want to be when I want to be. I want to have the time and money to let my kids experience the world.
Routines and Processes
The best way to achieve things is to have routines and processes I can fall back to. I’ve realized that once something becomes a routine it’s a lot easier to follow through. No more procrastinating.
Health
I am a strong believer that health is the most important goal of all. If I had to choose money vs. health I’d always choose health. A good diet has always been something I’ve worked towards. I want to grow more of my own food. I want to do less stress-chocolate munching. (It’s one to two snacks a day at the moment) And working out… that has always been a hardship to me. It’s not immensely pleasurable for me and time with a baby is scarce. I want to at least work out 10 minutes 5 times a week. Or at least take a walk outside.
Being a good parent
I think as a parent I am a teacher, a role model and a carer. It’s my responsibility to show my kids they are loved. That regardless of what happens I am there to support them.
I also should introduce my baby to good routines. (Like eating, cleaning, playing, working out etc.) ( My baby made me realize how much I am lacking in that department). I want my kid to go out and experience life with all his senses. To make social connections.
Family
Without family, you are like a tree without strong roots.
Sharing
Finally I want to share what I learned. And I want to build meaningful connections. To learn from each other as a community.
3. Re-Evaluate Of Goals and Adjustments
1. Checking their Relevance:
I made a lot of goals for this year. A lot are just totally unrealistic with a baby. I checked my old goal plan and updated it. Like flipping my first website… I decided to just focus on the most relevant things and scratched a lot of stuff.
2. Set New Goals:
What are the 5 most important things you can do the next 180 days to move forward? Following Michael Hyatts quarterly review I created 5 business and 5 personal goals for the next 6 months.
4. Action Steps
This is the last part of this years Mid Year Checkin:
- Break Down Goals: Divide each goal into smaller, actionable steps.
- Prioritize Tasks: Identify which tasks are most important and prioritize them.
- Set Deadlines: Assign deadlines to each task to stay on track.
Tools And Resources You can Use for Your Mid Year Checkin:
Free Printable Mid Year Review Template
Productivity Apps
- Notion: A versatile tool for organizing notes, goals, and tracking progress.
- Trello: Great for visual task management and planning.
- Habitica: Turns habit tracking into a game, making it more engaging.
- Google Calendar: For scheduling check-ins and tracking deadlines.
- Evernote: Useful for note-taking and organizing your review documents.
Youtube Videos On Mid Year Reviews
- New Year Planning Lavendaire.
- Ali Abdaal’s Annual Review.
This is it for this week. Please share your mid year or annual review in the comments bellow.
😊
I’d be super happy for that! If you haven’t made goals yet make sure to check out my post on goal setting.
