Did you know that nearly 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February? I wasn’t surprised when I heard that statistic. How many times had I written elaborate plans in my brand new planner only to find it collecting dust by June?
Here’s the good news – mid-year is actually the perfect time to reconnect with your goals. It’s your opportunity to reassess, realign, and recommit with even more clarity than you had in January.
As women, we often juggle multiple responsibilities and navigate unique challenges while pursuing our dreams. That mid-year pause isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for sustainable growth. I’m going to walk you through exactly how to conduct a goal review that will actually reinvigorate your motivation and set you up for success in the second half of the year.
Why Mid-Year Goal Reviews Matter (And Why Most People Skip Them)
Before I started getting serious about personal development, I never thought about doing mid-year reviews. To be honest, it sounds like another way to hyperfocus on all the ways I failed myself, yet again. Can you relate?
When I actually sat down to do the review, I realized I’d made a lot more progress than I thought I had. I even accomplished things I hadn’t even put on my original list. That gave me the confidence to adjust my goals and see what more I could accomplish in the second half of the year.
Research shows that people who conduct regular goal reviews are 31% more likely to achieve their targets than those who set goals once and never revisit them. This is something I’ve seen play out repeatedly in my own life and with friends in my circle – those who treat their goals as living documents consistently outperform those with static plans.
Step 1: Create the Right Environment for Your Goal Review
Before diving into your goals, you need to set the stage for honest reflection. Find a space where you can think clearly without distractions. For me, I’ll have my husband watch the baby while I go into the bedroom. He knows to leave me to my thoughts when he sees my notebook out. Notebook = serious business.
Gather everything you need:
- Your original goal documents or journal
- Your planner or calendar from the past six months
- A fresh notebook or digital document for new insights
- Any tracking data you’ve collected (fitness stats, savings numbers, project milestones)
- Reflection prompts
The right environment isn’t just about physical space – it’s about mental space too. I always start with a few minutes of deep breathing or a quick prayer to set my intentions and focus my mind. You might prefer to say a few affirmations and do a guided meditation before getting started. Whatever centers you and opens you to honest self-reflection is perfect.
Block out at least 90 minutes for this process. Anything less and you’ll rush through important insights. This is your time to reconnect with yourself and your aspirations – give it the space it deserves.
Step 2: Celebrate What You’ve Already Accomplished
Before analyzing what didn’t happen, acknowledge what did. This isn’t optional – it’s essential for maintaining motivation.
I remember the first time I sat down to do a mid-year review. I was a little down on myself for not hitting my revenue goal. When I thought about what I had been doing for the past 6 months I realized I’d started waking up earlier, reading again, and building an emergency fund – three massive wins that weren’t even on my original resolution list!
Start by listing everything you’ve accomplished in the past six months, whether it was on your original goal list or not. Don’t dismiss anything as too small or insignificant. Waking up at 7am doesn’t seem like a big deal, especially with those 5am morning routines floating around, but as a night owl, that was huge for me.
For each accomplishment, ask yourself:
- What strengths did I use to make this happen?
- What did I learn from this success?
- How can I build on this win going forward?
I’ve found that many of us have been conditioned to downplay our achievements or quickly move on to the next challenge without celebrating our wins. Breaking this pattern is revolutionary – your accomplishments deserve recognition, especially from yourself.
Create a physical or digital “wins” folder where you save evidence of your progress – screenshots of congratulatory messages, photos of projects completed, or journal entries about milestones reached. This becomes powerful fuel when motivation dips later in the year. On Instagram, I have a highlight called “Fan Mail” where I save all the kind words that people have sent me on my journey. When I’m feeling down I like to click through it.
Step 3: Analyze What Didn’t Work (Without Self-Judgment)
Now for the part that trips most people up – looking at what didn’t go as planned. The key here is approaching this analysis as a curious observer rather than a harsh critic.
When I didn’t hit that revenue goal, I initially blamed it on “lack of discipline.” When I dug deeper, I discovered the real issue: my business plan relied on strategies that didn’t align with my strengths, and I was trying to follow someone else’s blueprint rather than creating my own path.
For each goal that hasn’t progressed as you’d hoped, ask:
- Was this truly my goal, or something I thought I should want?
- What specific obstacles kept me from making progress?
- Did I have the resources, knowledge, and support needed?
- What unexpected events or priorities emerged that affected this goal?
- Is this still important to me?
Look for patterns across your stalled goals. I’ve found that timing issues, unrealistic expectations, and lack of clear action steps are common culprits. Sometimes the issue is trying to pursue too many goals simultaneously, which is something I continually work on myself.
Remember that external factors impact goal achievement too. Systemic challenges, family responsibilities (like a new baby), health issues – these are real factors, not excuses. Acknowledging these realities doesn’t mean giving up; it means being strategic about how you move forward.
Step 4: Deciding Which Goals to Keep, Revise, or Release
This is where the real power of a mid-year review happens. You get to decide, with half a year of data and experience behind you, which goals still deserve your energy.
I developed a simple framework after years of my own trial and error. Ask yourself these questions for each goal:
- Does this goal still align with my values and priorities?
- Does achieving this goal still excite or inspire me?
- Is this goal reasonably achievable in the next six months?
If you answer “yes” to all three, keep the goal. If you answer “no” to all three, release it completely. If your answers are mixed, it’s time to revise.
This revision process is where I often get tripped up. I used to treat my original goals as legally binding contracts rather than working documents. Give yourself permission to adjust timelines, scale targets up or down, or completely reimagine how you’ll achieve your desired outcome.
Here’s a great example. Let’s say you set a goal to buy a house by October. During your mid-year review, you realize that rushing this process is causing financial stress and forcing compromises on things like location or size. You revise your goal to “complete a homebuying education course and save an additional $10K for your down payment by December.” Making this adjustment could actually accelerate your progress because it’s more attainable and focused.
For goals you decide to release or revise, perform a small ritual of letting go. Cross them off your list, write down what you learned, and consciously free up that mental space for goals that better serve your current season.
Step 5: Creating Your Refreshed Plan for the Next 6 Months
With clarity about what you’re keeping, revising, and releasing, it’s time to map out your strategy for the second half of the year.
Break each remaining goal into specific monthly milestones. What exactly needs to happen by the end of July? August? September? This level of detail transforms lofty goals into actionable plans.
I’ve learned (the hard way) that scheduling these milestones into your actual calendar is non-negotiable. A goal without dedicated time blocks is just a wish. This is especially true for those of us juggling multiple responsibilities – if it’s not scheduled, other priorities will continually take precedence.
Build in accountability that works for your personality and circumstances. This might mean:
- Weekly check-ins with an accountability partner
- Monthly review sessions with yourself (calendar these now!)
- Public commitments to a trusted community
- Tracking systems that make progress visible
For each goal, identify potential obstacles that might emerge in the coming months and develop contingency plans. I call this “obstacle-proofing” your goals, and it’s been game-changing for my own achievement rate.
Remember to balance ambition with self-compassion in your planning. Allow space for flexibility. Life happens, unexpected challenges arise, and perfect execution isn’t the goal. Progress is.
Practical Tools and Resources for Effective Goal Reviews
Having the right tools can transform your goal review from overwhelming to empowering. Here are some resources that have helped me on my personal development journey:
Digital apps for goal tracking:
- Notion (my personal favorite for customizartion)
- ClickUp (great for visual goal mapping)
- Trello (simple but effective for milestone tracking)
Communities and groups for support:
- Try searching Facebook groups like “Goal Getters” or “Black Women Achieving”
- Professional organizations in your field may have mentoring circles
- Consider creating your own small accountability group with trusted friends
Books that provide frameworks and motivation:
- “We Should All Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers
- “Professional Troublemaker” by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
- “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Podcasts for ongoing inspiration:
- “Dreams In Drive” by Rana Campbell
- “Side Hustle Pro” with Nicaila Matthews Okome
- “Makers Mindset” with Nancy Twine
The Power of Mid-Year Redirection
As we wrap up, I want you to remember that a mid-year goal review isn’t about perfect execution of January’s plans. It’s about intentional course correction based on what you’ve learned about yourself and your circumstances over the past six months.
Some of your greatest achievements can come from goals you completely reimagined during mid-year reviews. That side business you thought you wanted? Replaced with a speaking opportunity that better aligns with your strengths. The fitness goal that wasn’t working? Transformed into a focus on overall wellbeing that leads to sustainable changes.
Your capacity to reassess and redirect is a strength, not a failure of commitment. As Black women, we’ve inherited incredible legacies of resilience and creative problem-solving. Your mid-year review is a chance to honor that legacy by strategically directing your energy toward what matters most to you.
I encourage you to schedule your review right now – put it on your calendar before you close this article. And remember, I’m rooting for you, sis. The fact that you’re reading about mid-year goal reviews already puts you ahead of the majority who never pause to reassess. Your commitment to growth is showing, and the second half of this year is full of possibility.
What will you celebrate when December arrives? The journey to find out begins with your mid-year review.
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