July: Mid-Year Check-In. How Are You Really Doing?

As we are halfway through the year, many of us find ourselves wondering where the time has gone!

January often begins with hope, goals, plans, and promises to ourselves that this year we will stick to our New Year resolutions. And yet by July, life has usually thrown in some curve balls.  Some things may have gone better than expected, while others may not have happened at all.

This is why doing a mid-year check-in can be so valuable.

It’s not an opportunity to judge yourself, criticise yourself, or focus on what you haven’t achieved. Instead, it offers a chance to pause and ask a simple question:

How am I really doing?

When we reflect on our lives, it’s really easy to focus on what we have achieved.

Have I met my goals?

Have I been productive enough?

Am I on track, or have I done everything I said I would by mid-year?

While these questions have their place, they don’t tell the whole story.  What about the challenges you’ve faced over the last six months.  What about the difficult days you’ve navigated, especially the days when the heat has left many of us exhausted.

What about the energy you’ve spent simply getting through situations that nobody else can see?  Sometimes surviving a difficult period is an achievement in itself.

Life Doesn’t Always Follow the Plan

Many people carry a sense of disappointment when they look back over the first six months of the year.

Life may have happened and you had to change your goals.  Maybe you have had to focus more on your health.  Perhaps family, work, finances, grief, or unexpected events had to take priority.  Life is rarely as straightforward as we hope it will be.  Having to adjust your expectations isn’t failure. It’s responding to reality, to life.

A Different Kind of Reflection

Rather than asking what you’ve achieved, maybe asking yourself:

• What has been challenging for me this year?
• What have I learned about myself?
• What am I proud of?
• What has helped me through difficult moments?
• What am I carrying that no longer serves me or I no longer need?
• What do I need more of in the next six months?

These questions invite curiosity rather than criticism.  Answer them with compassion, not judgement.

Notice Your Energy

Many of us spend so much time pushing forward that we forget to check in with our energy levels.

Ask yourself:

• Am I constantly exhausted?
• Have I had opportunities to rest, but chose not to?
• Am I expecting too much from myself?
• What would make life feel a little lighter for me right now?

Our wellbeing isn’t measured by how productive we are and how much we can squeeze into a day. It is also influenced by how well we care for ourselves along the way.

Progress Isn’t Always Visible

One of the biggest mistakes we make is assuming that progress must be obvious.  Must be visible.   

Sometimes progress can look like:

• Setting a boundary, you couldn’t set before.
• Asking for help.
• Taking a break before reaching overwhelm or burnout.
• Being kinder to yourself, and offering yourself some self-care.
• Learning to say no when you notice you’re saying yes.
• Getting through a difficult time one day at a time.

These changes may not appear on a to-do list, but they matter.  They can make a significant difference to our general well-being.

Moving Forwards With Compassion

As the second half of the year begins, there is no requirement to start again, reinvent yourself, or create an entirely new plan. Instead, consider what would happen if you approached the coming months with a little more compassion.

What do you need right now?

What support would help?

What expectations could be reviewed or softened?

What small step would make a positive difference?

You do not need to have everything figured out right now.

You only need to keep moving forward in a way that feels manageable for you.  One step at a time.  

A Gentle Reminder

If the first half of the year has been difficult, you are not behind.  You focused on what needed your attention in that moment.  If your plans had to change, you are not failing. If you’ve simply been doing your best to cope with life’s demands, that counts too.

Perhaps this July, rather than focusing on everything left to do, take a moment to acknowledge how far you’ve already come.  Reflect on what you have achieved so far this year, which may include self-care or time you’ve spent just ‘being’.

And ask yourself, with kindness:

How am I really doing?

Take a couple of deep breathes.  Breathe out for longer than you breathe in.  Pause for a moment and begin to reflect on these questions.  There are no right or wrong answers, just an opportunity for you to check in with yourself honestly and compassionately.

1. What is something I’ve handled this year that I might not be giving myself enough credit for?
2. What has drained my energy most over the past six months, and what has helped to restore it?
3. What have I learned about myself so far this year?
4. Is there anything I need to let go of, maybe an expectation, pressure, habit, or belief, that is no longer serving me?
5. What is one small act of self-care, self-compassion, or positive change I would like to prioritise in the months ahead?

Remember, reflection isn’t about judging where you are. It’s about noticing where you’ve been, understanding where you are now, and deciding what you need as you move forward for the next six months.