(By Buzz Knight) Congratulations. You’ve made it to what is roughly the mid-point of the year. Are you fried yet? What are your expectations for the rest of the year? Don’t let the summer heat lull you into complacency. Mid-year is a good time to pause, review your progress, evaluate your vision, and double down on updated goals.
Here are ten ways to get yourself going:
1. What are the highlights and accomplishments in each month of the year so far?
Don’t be modest. You can think of something. Putting a spotlight on the good outcomes is way better than drowning in adversity and a “woe is me” attitude. This may be good information to share with your team members as you should also be open to helping them to a mid-year jumpstart.
2. What three things you should stop doing the rest of the year?
Honest analysis helps yield discipline and focus so you can improve. Take a step back and with utter candor recognize what isn’t working.
3. Achieving reset goals requires you to look deep at your work process.
Establish what habits you need to create to achieve better performance in the back half of the year. Maybe you recognize that preparation for your show hosts is an issue?
Then figure out ways for you to help them help themselves.
4. Break down the small actions you will need to take to achieve your goals.
Maybe you recognize that you are too reliant at checking your email or social media and this is taking your focus off of details? Use this reflection to put a limit on those activities so you can find more important things to be productive with.
5. Ask yourself what roadblocks have impeded your progress.
Maybe it is something holding you back that is controllable such as proper lead time in securing a big sponsor for a promotion?
Then address it and fix it as part of this jumpstart.
6. Do you have a pile of “to do” items sitting in front of you for the last six months, either personal or professional?
Wipe the slate clean by addressing what is necessary and put the unnecessary in the rear view mirror.
7. Make a list of the accomplishments and activities you are grateful for and the individuals involved in that process.
See if there are key threads from this analysis that you can lean into in the weeks and months ahead.
8. Close your eyes and visualize what you want the next six months to feel like.
This is a vibe check of sorts that allows you to better embrace what’s important for your future success.
9. Ask yourself what you have learned in the last six months.
Growing is learning and the more you want growth the more dependent you should be on learning things that can improve your craft.
10. Imagine it is six months from now and nothing has improved about your performance.
How will you feel about yourself and your team? How deep will your disappointment be? Sometimes a visualization exercise that frightens you is enough to get a kick in the pants at mid-year.
Buzz Knight can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Buzz’ Radio Ink archives here.
