Can you believe we’re just about halfway through 2023? Today, we’re going to do a midyear check-in to see how we’ve been doing this year and refocus on what we want to do before the end of the year. I’m also sharing my personal check-in with you at the end.

It seems cliché to say that this year is flying by, but it is. I feel like 2020 went by at a snail’s pace. And since then, life has been moving at a very rapid clip. I started 2023 knowing that this would be a big year for me as far as life decisions. And well, that’s the truth. We’ll get into all that in a bit in this midyear check-in. But first, let’s talk about you.

It’s pretty common to do a midyear assessment at a workplace, but this doesn’t need to be about work at all. This can be about anything going on in your life. If you’re game to play along, grab a notebook, grab a pen, rid yourself of distractions and set aside some time to think with me.

I find that the midyear check-in can be both motivating and eye opening. So here we go …

We’re halfway through 2023: Here’s your midyear check-in (and how I’m doing)

Okay, the real halfway point of the year is around July 2nd, but we’re getting this midyear check-in done a little early. 

The following questions are designed to get you thinking about what you set out to do this year, what’s important to you, and how you may need to refocus, if things have shifted.

First up, revisit the goals you made in January 2023, if you made them.

First step, if you wrote down goals at the start of the year, find them, read them and review them. How did you do? Do these goals still make sense? Or did something change? Do you need to adjust them?

If you didn’t write any goals for 2023, it’s absolutely not too late to do that now. You can “start fresh” or “start new” at any time of the year, and we should never forget that.

Secondly, revisit your why or your personal mission, if you have one.

I’ve talked a lot about personal mission statements, because I made mine a few years ago when working with my life coach. This personal mission statement is supposed to guide everything. I keep mine in the notes column of my phone, and I hadn’t looked at mine in months, before this post. It’s always a good thing to go back to. While my personal mission statement airs on the professional side for what I do, yours can be about any part of your life.

And if you don’t have one, then you just need to think about your “why.” Why do you want to do the things you set out to do? What do you want out of your life? What type of feeling do you want each day? What matters the most to you? This “why” should drive your goals and where you focus your time and energy.

Thirdly, set aside some time to walk through these midyear questions.

Then, ask yourself (or ask someone in your life) these questions, and write down the answers so you can refer back to them at the end of the year …

• What’s one area where you have really excelled so far in 2023? How can you do more of that?
• Can you think of an event, activity, project or period of time in the first half of 2023 that made you feel truly inspired, impassioned and fired up? How can you repeat that?
• Can you think of a time, event, activity or situation that made you feel really badly in the first half of 2023? How can you avoid letting that happen again?
• What’s one area where you really need to make some improvements in the second half of 2023? What’s the first thing you should do to make improvements there?
• What are some fun activities you want to do by the end of 2023?
• What’s one thing you want to do for your health by the end of 2023?
• How do you want to feel at the end of 2023? What can you do differently to get you to that feeling?
• Do you want to adjust your goals to finish out 2023?

I hope you enjoyed these questions, and I hope your answers help you see a clearer picture of what you should focus on for the rest of the year.

Now, let’s talk about me …

How I’m doing on my midyear check-in based on my goals for 2023

For many years, at the beginning of the year, I set out very specific and measurable actionable goals for my personal and professional life. While that worked for me for a long time, this year, in 2023, I felt a shift. I’ve been very open with you that I feel a transition coming in my life, as Brady heads into full-time school for the first time in his/my life in the fall. I’ve been writing this blog and teaching group fitness for quite some time — and while I absolutely love what I do — I want to do more. 

Because I knew that I may have a potential transition and was unsure of a few aspects of my future this year, I took a more casual plan and created some behavioral approaches for my year instead of super-specific measurable goals. In the past, I’ve had really zoomed-in goals for my professional and personal life, and I expect to have some of those for the years ahead.

Here’s what I set out to do in 2023:

• In order to take care of my body:
  • I planned to do one solo progressive strength training workout per week outside of the classes I teach.
  • I planned to eat at least 100 grams of protein per day.
  • I planned to drink at least 120 ounces of water per day.
  • I planned to take one rest day off each week.
• In order to take care of my mind:
  • I planned to meditate once per day.
  • I planned to read for pleasure most nights of the week before going to sleep.
  • I planned to take at least two nights off from work each week, after Brady goes to bed.
• In order to take care of my spirit:
  • I planned to spend more uninterrupted technology-free time with my family and keep investing in my close relationships

So how am I doing on all of the above? Honestly, I’m doing pretty well. But these goals have been fairly easy for me, and there are areas of my life that need a lot of improvement that I didn’t address with these. I didn’t address anything on the professional side with these goals really, so there’s that. Let’s dissect …

Taking care of my body:

I’ve definitely increased my protein intake. I’ve added more meat back into my diet, and I’m enjoying that change — now I’m even trying to get 120 grams a day instead of 100. I’ve increased my water intake with the help of my Stanley cup, and I always add sea salt to my first two cups. Most days, I’ve been drinking 160 ounces instead of 120 too. Also, I’ve been fairly consistent with a once-weekly solo weights workout, and I even started tracking the exact weights I lift, so I can keep improving. All these things combined have made me feel healthy and strong.

In fact, just a few months ago, I felt stronger than I’ve been in several years. While I’m trying to build back to that point right now, I definitely know how to get there. Moving forward to the end of the year, I’d like to get even stronger, and I’d also like to improve my body composition a bit (don’t we all?), which has taken a backseat to all the other things on my mind this year. These behavior-based goals are being met, and I want to keep at ’em.

For my mind:

I’ve also stayed consistent with my very short morning meditations using the Headspace app, and I’ve been reading for pleasure at night, taking weekend nights off work too. Because I love what I do, I will always work every day of the week, but I think I have a good balance of not working too much on weekends. But my mind has been many places this year, and even though I’ve done my best to stay grounded, I’ve been looking ahead too much — and for the rest of the year, I want to be more present with what’s right here in front of me.

For my spirit:

I’ve had a lot of quality and uninterrupted time with friends and family this year. It’s been amazing to have my mom around, and I spend a lot of time with Brady every day. I’d love to plan to some trips for the rest of 2023. It’s my goal to get us to Disney World before the end of the year, so here’s hoping. I honestly haven’t had as many good relationships in my life as I have now since I lived in Florida, and that’s an awesome feeling. People really matter to me, and I’m truly lucky in this department.

Overall thoughts on 2023 so far for me:

It feels good to say that I’m very happy and comfortable with how my health and my personal life are right now. Yes — of course — I’ve had some losses and struggles — but I truly feel grateful for the people in my life and for my healthy body and mind. Things are far from perfect, but when I feel good, it’s a lot easier for me to face life every single day, you know?

Based on my recent loss, I know that I won’t be pregnant or holding a newborn in the future, so that does give me a bit more clarity. And as of now, I plan to spend the next six months of 2023 continuing with the behavioral goals I made above, and I also plan to explore and actively pursue some additional professional opportunities.

So while I do want to make some changes in my life, I also know that a lot of things are right where they need to be. Cheers to that.

Thank you so much for reading this post about being halfway through 2023. I wish you peace, love, happiness and wellness for the rest of the year. Now go get a notebook and get to thinking.

Have a great day, friend!

(I’m wearing these shorts and this top in these photos, both in a small. Two of my favorite clothing items for the summer and beyond.)

Other posts you may like

• Questions to ask yourself to set goals and plan for a great 2023
• Three helpful mindset shifts I’ve made recently
• Three small changes I’m making in my health and fitness this year

Questions of the day for you

What’s one thing you’ve already accomplished in 2023?

What’s one thing you still want to accomplish in 2023?

What’s your why?

What will your midyear check-in reveal to you?