It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost six months since the beginning of the year.
Time simultaneously crawled on by, yet other days it went by faster than I could keep up with.
I wrote in a recent post how my grief felt layered this last year. It seemed like when I finally had a second to catch my breath, something else unexpectedly happened, bringing me right back to where I was in the first place. My mindset shifted from “how can I make it through this?” to “when I make it through this.”
There’s purpose in the way we keep showing up for ourselves, especially when the road ahead feels never-ending, as if it keeps looping over and over. I stopped measuring success and productivity by how much I crossed off a checklist, and reminded myself that not overexerting myself or carrying more than I could handle was equally as, if not more, important.
I like to re-evaluate my goals and reflect on where I am at during the midway point of the year, especially since so much can change in a short amount of time. A mid-year reflection isn’t meant for an overhaul of everything you haven’t done, but rather, a way to take a deeper and honest look at our intentions, habits and goals.
If you’re in need of a mid-year reset, here are some helpful reflections and prompts to help you during the last six months of the year:
Evaluate Where You Were At The Start Of The Year
Since I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a few years ago (mainly because I would forget about them or feel pressure when I didn’t complete them), I picked a word to live by throughout the year. The word I chose for 2026 is resilience, as a reminder that no matter what happens, I can lean on my strength, knowing it’ll always carry me through.
At the beginning of the year I felt a lot of gratitude, not only for where I was but for the places I had been. And how even in the darkest places of grief, light still showed its way through. Something the last year and a half taught me was to let go of any expectations so I could embrace what was ahead of me, rather than trying to force my way through.
I planned to write more in my personal journal this year, but a lot of the time it felt hard to sit with how I felt. Professionally, I haven’t shared as much on here as I wanted to either, but I did end up launching a new publication called Dear Diary on Substack. It’s been nice having a separate space that isn’t so heavily focused on SEO, or feeling like I was stuck in a box of content I wanted to create.
Something I plan on doing in addition to my mid-year reflection is to write out my intentions, hopes, goals and dreams for the next six months. No matter how small or big they are, I wanted a way to document and look back at the end of the year to see how I felt vs. where I ended up.
A few helpful questions to look back on the last six months:
- How were you feeling at the start of the year? Were you hopeful, anxious, motivated, 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’re reaching toward 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 of how many times I’ve planned something, just for it to go the complete opposite way of what I thought it’d look like.
The last six months (and even the last year) taught me that sometimes no matter how much we try to envision our future the way we want it to look, a lot of situations are completely out of our control. Instead of looking at the year in the narrow lens only in terms of accomplishments on paper or reaching certain milestones, reflect on how far you’ve come even if it looks different from what you thought it would.
When we’re faced with a hard situation that feels endless, our focus tends to shift on where we “aren’t” rather than looking at where we are and how far we’ve come given what we’ve been through.
Did you:
- keep going when everything 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 something looks different from what we thought it would, it doesn’t mean we aren’t making progress in other areas. It’s about learning how to give ourselves grace even if things aren’t going the way we pictured the would, knowing we can still find gratitude in how we keep showing up despite our feelings.
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 learned time and time again the last six months, it’s that two feelings can exist at once. If you find yourself in a place of grieving what you thought would be, there can still be space for what you’re hoping will happen in the future.
Part of feeling stuck over the last year and a half is that I’ve been in the middle of a prolonged season of waiting. Instead of putting more emphasis on what I’m waiting for, I’ve been trying to find 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 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.
