The 5-Step Mid-Year Plan to Achieve Your Goals

The 5-Step Mid-Year Plan to Achieve Your Goals

If you’re behind where you hoped to be at this time this year, it’s not too late to see your goals achieved.

I have a plan to help you estimate where you currently stand and how you can improve your processes for the second half of the year.

But before we get into that, I’m going to give you a few exercises that will help provide clarity regarding your goals and intentions for this year. You’ll want to grab some pen and paper.

What are five things you did this year that you’re really proud of?

Write down five things you’ve done so far this year that you’re really proud of.

It could be as simple as reading 10 books so far this year when you previously weren’t a reader. Or something as grandiose as dropping 20 pounds, paying off debt, or buying a house. Maybe you repaired a broken relationship with someone, or quit a bad habit.

If you’re proud of it, it matters. Whether it happened publicly or privately, whether it was something simple or something major. It matters. Write it down.

Where have you failed with accountability?

If you’re truly being honest with yourself, this question might make you a little uncomfortable.

Write down where you have failed with accountability.

Did you fail to be accountable at work, or with your family? Maybe you’d previously quit a bad habit, but picked back up on it again.

When I answered this question for myself, I realized I wasn’t as accountable in some of my relationships because so much of my time was invested in working. And I definitely haven’t been accountable to myself with some bad habits I let return, such as sleeping too late in the mornings.

I believe both of the above questions-when contemplated and answered honestly-help bring the clarity you need to be more intentional in your actions for the rest of this year.

Now, let’s dig into the 5-step mid-year plan to achieve your goals.

The 5-Step Mid-Year Plan to Achieve Your Goals

Review Your Goals

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” ~Robert Collier

First things first: Review your goals and assess whether or not each goal was reached.

Did you achieve your goals?

Which goals were not achieved?

Setting goals-when done correctly-is imperative to success because they help you measure your progress and make goals easier to achieve with actionable steps, versus setting vague goals based on wishful thinking and no action.

I have a goals planner that I review 20 minutes a day, every day (I highly recommend doing this-even if it’s just 5 minutes a day). I’m consistently in-tune with my progress.

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Reassess Your Goals

I want to make one thing clear before going further-please, please do NOT get discouraged or give up if you have not reached your goals at this point.

Just because you didn’t reach your goals doesn’t mean you’re out for the year.

Instead of focusing on defeat, think about what is possible.

What can you do with the remaining months of the year?

If you have to push the deadlines back on your goals, that’s okay.

Consider why your goal wasn’t reached and what you need to do to ensure you succeed by your new deadline.

Bottom line: Figure out what went wrong, set a new deadline, and make a new and improved plan of action to see your goals achieved by years’ end (or whatever your deadline is).

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Audit Your Schedule

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.” ~Jim Rohn

Audit your schedule from the months of this year leading up until now.

Then, ask yourself the following question:

Do the activities planned in your calendar serve you, or do they serve other people?

I’m not suggesting you be selfish and refuse to make time for other people or causes.

Volunteerism and relationships are extremely important and shouldn’t be sacrificed.

What I am asking is, are the majority of the things on your calendar serving your goals, or someone else’s?

If you look at your calendar and realize the majority of the things you have planned are for someone else’s dream, it’s time to change the way you schedule.

Another aspect to consider is who you spent the most time with so far this year.

Are they people who lift you up and motivate you, or do they drag you down?

If needy friends who always want something are holding you back, it’s time to tune them out and focus on you.

Yes, it’s great to help friends in need-but we all have that friend in our life who is always in crisis mode.

If you’re always tending to the needs of others who can’t help themselves, you’ll deter away from your personal mandates.

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Make Time for Fun

If you’re anything like me, you can’t rest until you’ve done what you set out to do.

And then after that, you set out to do something new, so you just keep on like the energizer bunny.

But the truth is, we all need something fun to look forward to.

A vacation, a day off, a massage, a frozen drink on the beach.

Don’t deprive yourself.

Take this time to schedule at least one fun thing this next month, a fun event over the next 3 months, and an extended weekend (or longer!) getaway before the year is over.

If planning time for fun is not an option for you at this time, get something scheduled as soon as you’re able.

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Make time for learning.

“The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what their calling.” ~Napoleon Hill

I’m assuming since you are reading my blog, you are intentional about personal growth.

If not, I strongly encourage you to get started.

Personal growth never stops. If you aren’t armed with books, podcasts and other resources to grow you, expect to fail to reach your goals.

Make it a point to read one book per month at minimum. Listen to podcasts or audio books in the car. Make personal development a lifestyle, not a temporary season of your life.

I personally notice a big difference in my life when I’m consistently engaged in personal development versus when I’m not. When I’m engaged, my productivity increases, as well as my determination to succeed. When I’m not as engaged, my productivity slips, and bad habits are more likely to creep up.

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