The end of May is a good time to look at the year, because it is far enough in that patterns are visible and far enough from December that you can still do something about them. Most midpoint reviews fail because they become a tally of what did not happen. Here is a version that produces adjustments instead.
Start with what worked
Before anything else, write down three things from the past five months that went well. Not necessarily goals you set; things that happened, choices you made, moments you are glad about. This is not self-congratulation. It is calibration. You cannot see the year clearly if you only look at the holes.
Then look at the goals
For each one you set in January, ask three questions. Is it still something I want? Is the method working? What would I have to change to get it back on track? Some goals will turn out to be dead, and you should let them go without ceremony. Some will need a smaller version. A few will just need you to start again.
Name the one obstacle
Across everything that slipped, there is usually one common cause: a schedule that leaves no margin, a habit that eats your evenings, a relationship or situation that drains you. Name it in one sentence. You do not have to solve it today, but you cannot work around something you refuse to look at.
Pick the second-half focus
One thing. The one that, if it went well between now and December, would make the whole year feel worth it. Write it on something you will see.
Then close the notebook
A review is a tool, not a verdict. Give it an hour, decide what you are going to do differently in June, and get on with it. The second half of the year starts whenever you say it does.
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