Mid-Year Life Reset

Reassessing what we want.

Hi, I’m Reid! I write about my life experiences and how we can all live in brave new ways. Dare You is a reader-supported publication. To receive weekly posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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The start of a new year is a prime time for setting personal goals, a tradition that has made the phrase "New Year's resolutions" ubiquitous. But what is the second best time to take stock of our lives and shift our goals? NOW.

We are half way through the year, and with the Summer Solstice just days away, a mid-year life reset is in order. A mid-year Reset is important for multiple reasons, the first being it is wishful thinking to think that the goals we set at the beginning of the year won’t require some adjusting 6 months in… why? Because life happens. What you wanted at the beginning of the year might not be what you want a few months in, or your way of going about achieving your goals might not be working and you’ll need to pivot. You might have new projects and new dreams that may require you to reassess the amount of energy and time you give to your other goals. Some of us might have experienced tragedy and setbacks that require time to grieve and process in order to move on.

No matter what the vision is you had for your life at the beginning of this year, I’d bet money it is different than what you had planned. Regardless of whether your life is better, worse, or just plane different than how you had hoped it would be 6 months into the year, taking time to get centered and make a game plan for how to move forward can be essential to achieving your goals by the end of this year.

For me, my entire life is different than how I thought it would be at the beginning of this year. If I could go back in time to 6 months ago and give myself one piece of advice it would be “Embrace the unexpected.” That being said, I am revisiting all of my goals and adjusting them so that they best suit me exactly where I’m at. Also, I have new goals that I care about way more than some goals I set at the beginning of this year, so I’ll be putting some previous goals on the back burner.

Before you begin your reset, set aside at least one hour of your time where you can be uninterrupted and focus. Get cozy, maybe make a cup of tea, and lets begin…

1. Reassess your goals

Take a look at your goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. If you did not set goals, write down the top 3 things you have been focusing on in life.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I still want these things as badly as I did 6 months ago?

• Is the way I am going about achieving my goals giving me the results I desire?

• What new goals do I have for myself? How much time and effort am I willing to put in to achieve these goals?

• How do I want to feel on an average day in my life? Creative? Successful? Relaxed? Easeful? Energetic?

Based on your answers to these questions, create your new goal list. Let go of any goals you no longer desire, rework the way you go abut achieving your goals, and decide how much time and effort you will put into each goal.

2. Clear space and declutter

Now that we know what we want over the next 6 months, it is time to clear out the old and make room for the new. Clean out your closet, let go of any items you no longer use, do a deep clean of your home. Also, clear out space on your computer, phone, and all other devices. By clearing space, we are creating room for what we want to come through. And it is always easier to go about daily life when you have less clutter around.

The “clearing space” category also includes letting go of ways of being that are no longer serving us.

Ask yourself the following questions…

• What versions of myself have I outgrown and am ready to let go of?

• What habits are no longer serving me?

• Where in my life can I take radical accountability?

• In what ways am I holding myself back in life?

• How can I take my power back?

3. Make a game plan for the next 6 months.

Revist your goal list and decide one action you can take for each goal that will supercharge your success.

So, if your goal is to get in shape and you hate working out, your action step might be to sign up for a weekly workout class for the next 6 months. If your goal is to slow down and not work so hard, perhaps you will carve out a day in your schedule each week to relax.

Our intention with the mid-year reset is to come out feeling confident and empowered in our next steps to take. When we have a vision for how we want our lives to be and a clear path forward, anything is truly possible. If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy this video on my YouTube channel where I get a bit more personal about my goals and walk you through the mid-year reset.

-Reid