How to Conduct a Mid-Year Assessment: Blended Style
The Importance of Reflection.
Why are mid-year reflections so crucial for personal, professional, and spiritual growth?
Lately, we’ve all been experiencing major industry shifts, watching significant global events in transition. Unless you’ve chosen to keep that adorable head under a pillow or at the beach in the sand, it’s time to…
WAKE UP and SHAKE OUT OF IT.
Those personal milestones or career pivots won’t move forward on their own.
This post is practical advice to help you achieve a balanced lifestyle and incorporate your desired goals.
Kate Bravery, Senior Partner of Mercer LLC, stated that a major global trend is “..organizations taking the opportunity to reset their people strategy.” The focus areas for this 2024 global report and the People's Agenda include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, the US, and many others.
A 2022 Gallup poll showed the highest burnout rate among educators at 35-44%, followed by Professional Services at 33%.
As I reviewed the list, it became apparent that we all need to take a pause and reflect on Work-Life Balance.
Your goal may be associated with where you’d like to be financially and maintaining the strategic vision to get you there. Well, for a third year in a row, Americans (in fact, 36% of younger Americans under 50) agree that inflation is keeping them on their toes and alert to stay on top of their personal finances.
What can a Mid-Year Assessment do for you?
Many of you want to be seen and spoken about in ways that reflect your achievements. You want to be recognized as successful and highly competent in your professional field.
I see you.
You want to exude confidence and know your worth. This is a time when you want to know you can handle challenges with poise and assurance.
Deep reflections mid-year will help you:
Align with and gain better clarity on your current priorities,
Reduce the fear of unmet goals,
Balance multiple responsibilities,
Relieve financial pressures, and
Reduce emotional and mental fatigue
I love this time of year. After my most prominent project of the year, “sort-of,” settles down, and my body is screaming for some “me-time,” I steal away and deep-dive into my Stillness time to remind myself where my inner strength comes from. I re-commit to a daily quiet routine for about an hour and listen to soaking instrumental music. Phone in bag, I patiently wait for God to speak to my heart and lead me into our next adventure. He’s so majestic and has BIG imagination possibilities. I just can’t hear him when my spirit is worn down, and my emotions are bouncing around like a rhythmic and complex music track.
A mid-year assessment is also refreshing because it allows you to take a well-deserved “moment in time” to review your start-of-the-year checklist.
When was the last time you disciplined yourself and looked at that checklist or journal entry to ensure it still describes what matters most to you?
What better way to stay engaged and motivated than to give yourself a confidence boost based on your strengths and contributions five to seven months in?
Taking time to dive in and self-reflect will give you valuable insight, reset your intentions, and light up your path for the remainder of the year.
Overcoming Fear of Change.
I’ve created this mid-year guide to give you strategies to overcome fear and resistance to change.
Absolutely, change is uncomfortable. Physically, it’s because the brain doesn’t like pain. And YES! Headheartbrain.com stated “..Research shows that people’s response to change is common at a biological level. Change creates a painful experience in the brain. Much like being punched or breaking a bone. Our brain responds to and encourages us to create patterns, regular ways of doing things.”
So, there you have it.
The brain doesn’t want it. Your mindset would love to take a pass on CHANGE.
The brain’s obsession with familiarity is a shortcut that significantly dilutes and cuts your lifeline to growth, learning, and new opportunities.
The assessment is a safety net that will help you reshape your perception of change. As you move through the reflection, snippets of your imagination will spot new opportunities and what-ifs.
All of these mental steps will move you from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex of that lovely brain of yours.
Here’s how I transformed significant behaviors and took a nibble out of my life’s curveballs:
Here’s how I transformed significant behaviors and took a nibble out of my life’s curveballs:
It really started with a significant head-of-the-year conference that's annually held in September (the start of the Jewish year). Actually, when I think about it, many personal and major transformative events in my life began during Rosh Hashana.
Anywho, last year I was asked to speak at a major music conference. It was my first time speaking on the subject of music festivals. I’ve done lots of public speaking engagements, but this was different. In this area of my life, I’ve primarily worked behind the scenes. I knew I was an expert in this area, but speaking publicly about production and operations was new territory for me.
Geez, Loueeze, was I terrified. In addition to this new opportunity and networking circle, I was preparing to lecture and teach the principles of Festival Management at a major B-school.
I had asked God for a shake-up in my life, but these two ‘suddenlies’ caught me like a hurricane—or did they?
In August 2023, I spent a fabulous, quiet week at my favorite emerald-green beach, journaling, reading, and praying for a life shake-up. It wasn’t about financial success because, generally speaking, I am blessed. It was about letting go of empty promises, forgiving myself for allowing empty words to linger too long, and embracing whatever new opportunity God brought to my door.
I also read a life-shaking book by Dorie Clark titled The Long Game and used it as a companion for writing down my annual, mid-term, long-term, and capstone goals.
Fast forward, I quietly shook the ground wherever God placed me, and I’m talking about the benefits of conducting a mid-year assessment from my momentous mountain of grace.
Now, if you’re ready for a successful transition and transformation process, read on.
What will happen when you use a mid-year guide?
Leading consulting firms like Leadership Vision and Deloitte highlight the importance of checking in to determine whether you need to reassess and adjust strategies. Leadership Vision stated in an article it’s a success-driven idea to pause and reflect in order to thrive.
This guide is a strategic approach to letting go of past mistakes and regrets and focusing on the future.
How can you prepare yourself for a reflection session?
First, set aside about 40-60 minutes of uninterrupted time. What is your hard-wired “perfect time” when you are least mentally sluggish?
Next, get out your journal so you can refer back to it, highlight it, and make follow-up notes. You may want to draw or write a scripture or mantra near a particular adjustment needing a confidence boost.
Did you know that journaling increases your awareness and helps you to open up about issues that make you anxious or affect your mood? Research shows journaling can promote acceptance–and mindful acceptance in particular–which is a valuable and effective way of getting unstuck, freeing ourselves to move forward (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).
Now, with pen, crayon, or tech device in hand, let’s do this!
Five Key Assessment Areas:
Let’s review-
Your Goals, Intentions, and Priorities
Your Progress and Adjustments
Your Motivation and Focus levels
Your Personal, Professional, and Spiritual Growth
Your Stressors and Well-Being
Suggested Actions + Strategies:
Pull out the goals, intentions and priorities you created at the head of the year. Put them in Reflection buckets.
Reflection Buckets:
Next Steps:
1. Break down your year so far.
2. Use a journal sheet or Google Docs page for each month.
What’s the best thing that has happened to you each month so far?
Hint: I always think I will write less, but then I end up scribbling in every corner, with lines and connect-the-dots everywhere!
3. PLEASE, PLEASE, write out each month’s accomplishments (personal, professional, spiritual).
YES! Even the small wins. My husband always says, “A win is a win, no matter how ugly.”
I recommend taking out the handy-dandy calendar to refresh your memory.
4. Now, write out your past month’s struggles and major bumps. Yep…Take out the calendar to refresh your memory.
5. List all the lessons you’ve learned.
What were you surprised by?
What do you need your colleagues, friends, or others to know?
Is there any project you keep postponing? Why?
What will make for a meaningful second half of the year?
What movie names or scenes, catchphrases, slogans, visuals, or lyrics can you utilize as accountability triggers?
What will motivate you to make a goal or behavioral adjustments?
6. Tweak or re-Create an actionable plan.
Review the plan and ensure it’s SMART.
Do you need to reassess your workload?
Is there a small action or a series of chunkable actions that can more calmly get you to the finish line?
Who will keep you accountable?
When is the actionable plan due?
Who will review it and support you?
What are examples of what you can let go of?
the fear of change
the resistance of moving past your comfort zone
the dissatisfaction with your present job role
non-meaningful and unfulfilling work
judgment, past failures, and mistakes
Ineffective communication habits
Chronic bad stress
neglecting your personal life
the resistance to new technology
the fear of being obsolete
““A reflective analysis can help you cultivate resilience and adaptability while moving through various life transitions.””
What are examples of new opportunities?
starting freelance or consulting work in your area of expertise
pursuing a new career that aligns with your passion or interests
seeking leadership or managerial positions within your organization
engaging in mindfulness or meditation activities
explore coaching and networking opportunities that promote wellness
cultivate a spiritual connection that increases your awareness
begin journaling on the highs and lows of your year so far to revisit your goals and intentions
enroll in a boot camp to stay current with technological advancements
participate in hackathon workshops or mini-courses
How will you make the next six months unforgettable?
What would you like 2025 to look and feel like? What can you accomplish in the remaining months to get you there?
Use this post to kickstart the second half of your year. I am excited that you’re on fire to assess any pain points that are holding you back. The first step to change is to believe you can transform.
I believe you can. If you’ve read up to this sentence, hear me deep down in your spirit:
The definition of transformation is waiting to post your picture beside it. “A transformation experience begins with…”