A Mid-Year Review of Your Goals
We’re already halfway through the year. Can you believe it? This is usually when people look up and wonder, “Where did the time go?” If you’re like most, you probably started the year with a few goals, hoping to make progress in different parts of your life. Maybe you’re feeling proud of what you’ve accomplished, or maybe you’re a bit frustrated that you’re not as far along as you hoped.
Either way, now is a good time to pause, take stock, and see where things stand. In this week’s episode, I want to explore what a mid-year goal check-in can look like. Whether you love setting formal goals or are just realizing it might be time to start, this is a chance to reflect.
I’ve always believed in setting goals. They give us direction, help us break big dreams into smaller steps, and keep us focused on what matters. Even if you have a long list, it’s okay if not everything gets done this year. Some goals simply move to next year, and that’s fine. What matters is knowing what you want and working toward it.
Whether your goals are tied to health, learning, personal growth, or just creating more moments of joy, this is about recognizing how far you’ve come and staying open to what’s next. Let’s dive in.
How a Mid-Year Check Helped Me See Progress I Almost Missed
Now that we’re at the midpoint of the year, it’s the perfect time to look back at the goals we set and see how far we’ve come. It’s easy to dwell on what hasn’t happened yet, but starting with the progress we’ve made keeps things positive and motivating.
One of the goals on my list was to start horseback riding as a family. Checking in on this goal now shows me that while we haven’t officially begun, I have made some contacts and taken the first steps. It’s moving forward, just not as quickly as planned. This check-in is a good reminder that the next step is simple: follow up and finally turn the plan into action.
I also set educational goals for myself, committing to keep learning and staying sharp. By checking in at this point, I can see that I’m already part way through one of the courses I wanted to take, which feels right on track for this time of year. Being halfway through a course at the halfway mark of the year is a reassuring sign that the goal is within reach and I might not have recognized that progress without taking time to pause and reflect.
Fitness was another big focus. After feeling disappointed with how the New York Half Marathon went, I decided to skip running a full marathon this year and instead concentrate on shorter distances and getting faster. Checking in on this goal reminds me that while I haven’t hit my exact time targets yet, I did run a half marathon a couple of months ago and achieved a personal record. It’s not the final milestone, but it’s still meaningful progress that deserves to be celebrated.
When reviewing goals, it’s helpful to ask: Where am I right now? Have I made some headway? This kind of check-in midway through the year is exactly what helps keep things in perspective. Being halfway to the finish line is right where one should be. Even small steps count. Sometimes goals are set with all-or-nothing expectations like deciding to cut out dessert entirely. A mid-year check-in might reveal that instead of cutting it out completely, you’ve reduced it to once a week. That’s still a big shift and arguably a success.
In the end, it’s less about perfection and more about moving forward. Regularly checking in and recognizing progress, no matter how incremental, keeps motivation high and makes goals feel within reach.
Why Tracking Your Goals Matters
It’s one thing to set goals, but it’s another to track how you’re actually doing. Whether it’s fitness, nutrition, learning, or any other personal target, being intentional is key. Are you truly making progress? Have you carved out time in your schedule to work toward these goals?
If it’s a fitness goal, are you blocking out time daily or weekly to exercise? If it’s a nutrition goal, are you planning ahead by grocery shopping and meal prepping? Maybe your goal is to read more books this year. How many have you finished so far? Are you keeping track?
When it comes to goals tied to numbers, like minutes of exercise, pounds lost, or books read, tracking is essential. Without it, you really have no idea where you stand. I recently spoke with a patient who didn’t think he was losing weight. When I asked him what he weighed, he admitted he didn’t know because he didn’t even own a scale. Yet he’d noticed his pants were fitting looser, which suggested he probably was making progress. That’s why keeping track matters. It gives you a clear picture of where you are compared to where you started.
Say your goal is to exercise 150 minutes each week, but you’re not writing anything down. Are you actually hitting that number? Or is it closer to 10 minutes, or maybe 140 and you’re just a step away? Without tracking, it’s all guesswork. The same goes for weight loss. If you think you’re losing weight but haven’t checked, it might be time to step on the scale and see how things compare to the start of the year.
Checking in on your goals isn’t just about measuring success. It’s also about recognizing progress. Even small steps forward are worth celebrating. If you went from no regular exercise to consistently moving 30 minutes a week, that’s a huge win. Over time, that foundation can grow into even more. Progress, no matter how slow, is still progress.
If you haven’t written your goals down yet, now’s the time. Research shows you’re far more likely to achieve a goal if it’s written down. Sometimes sharing it with someone – a partner, a friend, or even on social media – can also boost your chances. It might feel awkward at first, but the accountability pays off.
So take a moment to jot down your goals and make it a habit to revisit them monthly or at least a few times a year. A simple check-in can keep you on track, help you adjust when needed, and give you real reasons to celebrate along the way.
Reworking Your Goals: Finding Time, Asking for Help, Letting Go
Once you’ve checked in on your goals and measured your progress, the next question is simple: what needs to happen to keep moving forward? Often, the biggest obstacle is time. It’s worth taking a serious look at your calendar and blocking out time specifically dedicated to your goals, whether that’s exercise, learning, or any personal project.
In many cases, reaching a goal also means being willing to ask for help. If your goal is to lose weight and you’ve tried to do it alone without much success, don’t wait another year to start making progress. It might be time to find a specialist who can guide you through a weight loss plan. If you’re in Colorado, that could mean visiting a clinic like ours or searching reputable sites such as the American Board of Obesity Medicine to find a qualified professional near you.
The same applies to fitness and nutrition. If you’re struggling to stay consistent with exercise, hiring a personal trainer could make all the difference. If meal planning feels overwhelming, maybe a dietitian or even a meal delivery service could lighten the load. Support doesn’t always have to be professional; it might come from a friend or family member. But if this goal still matters to you and you’re not making headway, it may be time to level up and bring in more support.
It’s also important to recognize that sometimes goals simply change. A goal that made perfect sense in January might not fit anymore. For example, I had a financial goal tied to a move I was planning. While I didn’t achieve the goal exactly as written, the move still happened, just in a different way. That goal served its purpose and doesn’t need to linger on my list.
The same goes for travel. I had some trips in mind for this year, but because of the move and other priorities, they might not happen, and that’s okay. Life shifts, and sometimes new, more meaningful goals take the place of old ones. Being flexible is key.
It’s easy to be hard on ourselves for not hitting every target, especially for those of us who thrive on checking boxes. But goals are meant to improve life, not add unnecessary pressure. If something no longer serves you, it’s perfectly fine to let it go. The real focus should be on what makes sense for your life right now and how you can keep growing in ways that matter most.
Goals Aren’t Set in Stone: How to Adapt and Move Forward
Goals can lose their urgency over time or simply become less relevant. Sometimes we push them into the future instead of letting them go completely. For example, I have a list of travel goals and places I hope to visit someday. I keep them written down so they don’t get lost in the shuffle of daily life. Even so, there’s no rush. Those destinations aren’t going anywhere. If it doesn’t happen this year, there’s always next year, maybe even a better time to go. I’ve learned that without writing these dreams down, work, projects, and obligations can easily crowd them out.
If your goals have been sidelined, be kind to yourself. Life happens. Maybe it was a health setback, caring for a family member, financial stress, or just a tough stretch mentally. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it just means your priorities had to shift for a while. Some goals might need a little adjusting to fit your current reality. That could look like easing up on the intensity, stretching out the timeline, or changing your focus for now.
Maybe you planned to exercise 150 minutes a week, but then needed surgery. Between now and the end of the year, could you slowly work back toward that number? Maybe the type of movement needs to change, or maybe physical therapy counts for now. And if it truly isn’t the right season, it’s okay to move that goal to next year.
Goals are meant to support your life, not run it. Stay flexible, adapt as needed, and give yourself credit for every bit of progress you’ve made, even if it looks different from what you first imagined.
Why Setting Goals Still Matters
It’s perfectly okay if your goals shift, get delayed, or even change entirely. What’s not okay, at least if you want to build a life you truly want, is never trying at all. Many people avoid setting goals because they’re afraid of failing or disappointing themselves. But here’s the truth: if you never set a goal, you’re almost guaranteed not to achieve it. Life will move on, but probably not in the direction you’d hope for.
Taking time to figure out what could genuinely improve your life and health, and then outlining a plan to get there, makes all the difference. Without that intentional step, it’s unlikely to happen on its own.
If you set goals at the start of the year, now’s a great time to pause and reflect. Where are you right now? How can you keep moving forward? Maybe you need more support, or perhaps it’s time to let go of goals that no longer serve you.
And if you’re someone who’s been listening to talks or reading about goals but still hasn’t sat down to write any, consider this your gentle push. Take a moment to jot down a few goals, even if it’s been years since you last did it. A good place to start is with the SMART framework, making sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It’s a simple way to turn vague hopes into clear, workable plans.
You might be surprised at how powerful this process is. Writing your goals down and revisiting them could be the very thing that finally nudges you forward on dreams or changes you’ve been putting off. In the end, setting goals doesn’t guarantee you’ll achieve everything exactly as planned, but it certainly gives you a much better chance of building the life you’ve always wanted.
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