I’ve felt at a standstill lately.
If you follow Truth Within Silence on social media, I mentioned how I took a much-needed break from everything for a week. I’ve been consistently creating content since I launched my site in 23’, and it finally all started catching up to me the last month.
My intentions for 2025 were to be more present and find joy in every day. While my year didn’t start out with joy, I still tried to show up for myself, even on the days it felt impossible. But as I took a hard look at where I was in the beginning of the year vs. where I am now, I realized an area I was falling short in: exerting myself without giving my mind a chance to rest.
We aren’t only productive or find purpose when we can check off every box on our to-do list, or when we reach the finish line of a major goal we’ve been trying to accomplish. There’s purpose in how we show up for ourselves, and how we keep pushing forward even when the path ahead feels unclear.
There’s something to be said about the way we hold ourselves together when we’d rather fall apart, or how we’re able to look at the reality of how we’re feeling rather than convincing ourselves we’re better off—especially when we can take a deep, honest look at our intentions and habits. While my own intentions, goals, and dreams look drastically different from the start of the year, I figured the halfway point was a good time to re-evaluate where I am and where I want to be.
A mid-year reflection isn’t meant for an overhaul of everything you haven’t done yet, but rather a way to look at what’s working for you and what isn’t through a deeper lens. While we all have ambitions and hopes when a new year starts, the reality is that life can throw a curveball faster than we can catch it, and sometimes that causes those same intentions to shift and change.
If you’re in need of a mid-year reset, here are some helpful reflections to get you back on the right path:
Evaluate Where You Were At The Start Of The Year
As somebody who’s deeply intuitive, I always have a strong sense of how I’m feeling. It’s one of the main reasons I feel so connected to journaling, because it’s an outlet and way for me to express and untangle those heavy emotions. Before December ended, I wrote down all of my hopes, dreams, and goals for 2025, and even wrote several times how I “just felt like 2025 was going to be the best year yet.”
So when January didn’t start how I anticipated it would, it caused me to completely take a step back and re-evaluate what my next direction was. I had to learn how to let go of my own expectations so I could embrace the direction in front of me, rather than try to force my way through.
I started doing a mid-year reflection last year when I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions, and felt like six months was a good check-in point. A lot can change in half a year (even half a month!) so it’s important to look at what your priorities were, how they’ve changed, and what you hope to accomplish the last half of the year.
Helpful questions to evaluate the last six months:
- How were you feeling at the start of the year? Were you hopeful, anxious, productive, etc.? How have those feelings changed or evolved?
- What were a few goals that you set, either personally or professionally? Have you reached any of those goals, or are there new ones you want to set instead?
- How have your priorities shifted from January until now? Are there any habits or intentions you want to let go of?
Give Yourself Grace If This Year Looks Different Than You Thought
I’ve lost count how many times I tried to plan something, just for it to go the complete opposite.
While the new year is great for setting new goals and intentions, it can be discouraging when you’re at the halfway mark and realize things aren’t going the way you pictured. No matter how much we try to envision something the way we want it to go, sometimes we’ll find ourselves in situations beyond our control and have to switch directions without warning.
Rather than getting down on yourself for where you “aren’t”, give yourself grace for where you are. Instead of looking at the year only in terms of accomplishments or milestones, reflect on how far you’ve come, even if it looks different than you thought.
Did you:
- keep going when things felt heavy?
- say no to something that didn’t bring you peace?
- honor how you felt, even when it didn’t make sense?
Our expectations tend to become rooted in what we do. But, sometimes, we have to remember that even if we aren’t hitting a certain goal or crossing something off our checklist, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t making progress in other areas. It’s about learning how to give ourselves grace even if things aren’t how we pictured they would be, knowing we can still find gratitude in how we keep showing up.
Related posts you might like:
- How To Find Hope In A Season Of Waiting
- 5 Ways To Live Your Life With More Intention
- How To Trust Your Path When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned
Reflect On Where You Hope To Be
If there’s a lesson I’ve repeatedly learned in the last six months, it’s that two things can exist at once. If you find yourself in a place of grieving what you thought would be, there can still be space held for what you’re hoping will come.
I mentioned how I’ve been in a standstill lately. Part of that is feeling like I’ve been in a prolonged waiting season in my life. Instead of putting more emphasis on what I’m waiting for, I’ve found purpose in trusting there is joy in my journey, regardless of what happens or when it happens.
Some of the best advice I heard recently was that maybe plan A didn’t work out, because plan B is going to be even better. Even if a situation didn’t turn out how you envisioned, or you’re still waiting on something to unfold, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a reason for why things are happening the way they are.
As you look ahead and think about the next six months, reflect on where you hope to be. If a goal or dream feels too far out of reach or unattainable, remember that you aren’t losing anything by choosing to look ahead with purpose and hope.
Helpful questions for reflecting on where you hope to be:
- Where do you hope to be in the next six months? (Mentally, physically, emotionally, etc.)
- How can you find meaning in the waiting, even when you can’t see what’s ahead?
- What is one thing you can do today that will bring you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?
A mid-year reset and reflection helps us take a hard look at what is and isn’t working for us anymore. It’s okay if your goals, habits, intentions, or even your dreams have changed or shifted. Sometimes when things fall apart, it’s because something even better is waiting for us ahead. And for all you know, you could be turning the page to one of your best chapters yet.
