A Midyear Check-in to Avoid the “Failed Resolution Slump”

Have you ever failed to keep a new year’s resolution and then felt guilty about it afterward? If you are like most people, your answer to that question is a resounding yes. 

In this post, I am going to share with you a midyear check-in I created and am using to remind myself of the intentions I set at the beginning of the year and get myself back on track to avoid what I’ve come to call the “failed resolution slump.” 

A Midyear Check-in to Avoid the “Failed Resolution Slump” 

Why talk about resolutions now? 

I don’t know about you, but I have very mixed feelings about New Year’s Resolutions. In the beginning they are great. Setting them and making a plan for achieving them gets me excited, and for a while I feel so motivated. Then life happens and eventually, though the goals are never forgotten, the momentum slips and usually by the end of the year I’m kicking myself for not having followed through. It’s a pattern that repeats itself year after year, and the older I get, the worse the slump I fall into seems to get. 

Though I’ve considered it, giving up on the practice entirely has never sat well with me, because I don’t think the resolutions themselves are the problem. After all, what is wrong with setting goals and intentions to improve your life? 

No, I think the problem is in the timing. A year is a long time. Most of us have a hard enough time as it is following through with short-term goals- what makes us think that having a whole 365 days to come up with excuses will make it any easier? 

After a particularly depressing slump this past December, I decided that this year I needed to do some things differently. I set up a sort of calendar/journal to help keep me on track (a process I am excited to share with you in a future post!) and got to work as usual. 

And as usual… after some really great initial progress, I let the momentum slip. But- and this is the important part- because of my pre-planning way back in January, I have a tool that I am using to get myself back on track. Just like I did at the beginning of the year, I am taking stock of the different areas of my life and identifying where and how I can take action again. I have my midyear check-in. 

A Snapshot of The Check-in

I designed this check-in to cover what I consider the major areas of my life and to include the questions I believe are most important to ask myself about where I am and how I can get to where I want to be. It isn’t all encompassing by any means, but I do believe it provides a decent snapshot to get me started- and I hope it can do the same for you! 

The 6 categories the check-in covers are:

The first page of the printable guide for this check-in is simply a space to jot down any notes or summarize how you are feeling about these areas. You can even use it to display your goals and/or actionable items to help you stay on track after your reflection. 

The next part of the check-in includes a series of questions to help guide your reflection. You can download the printable here, or use the questions provided below to reflect on in a journal. You could also just think on these things, but there is so much proven benefit in actually writing your reflections down on paper. I personally always find that the act of writing helps me slow down and process things so much better than just letting my thoughts run wild. 

Before you start

No matter how you choose to reflect, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself, especially in the area or areas you feel need the most work. It’s like that phrase we all know- “the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.” This can be the hardest part, especially because these topics are so personal and can have a strong tie to your emotions. 

It is entirely possible that as you work through this check-in you will feel a sense of disappointment in some areas- I know I did! Some big things have gone down since the beginning of the year, and I am definitely not in the position I expected to be at this point. 

But that is the beauty of this practice. I can take the intentions and actions I set in a different time and frame of mind, and adjust them to meet me where I am. I took a detour, and this is the map leading me back to my original destination, or maybe an even better one! 

I can also look back and see all of the progress that I have made toward those initial goals, which is just as important. Reflecting on those successes helps me know what has and hasn’t worked, and allows me to adjust my plan moving forward. 

The check-in

Finances

• Are you comfortable with your current financial situation?
• Do you have an emergency fund?
• Are you making payments toward debts on time?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your financial situation?

Work

• Do you have a stable/reliable income?
• Does your work feel meaningful?
• Do you have a clear view of what you are working toward?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your work life?

Home

• Are you in a living situation that is healthy and safe?
• Is your home comfortable and functional?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your living space?

Health

• How would you rate your physical health?
• What are you currently doing for your physical health?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your physical health?
• How would you rate your mental health?
• What are you currently doing for your mental health?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your mental health?

Social

• Are you happy with your current social life?
• Are your relationships a positive influence in your life?
• Are you being positively challenged in your relationships?
• What steps can you take right now to improve your social life?

Growth

• What are you currently doing for your own personal development?
• What is something you would like to learn more about this year?
• What skills would you like to gain and/or further develop?
• What steps can you take right now to start working toward your personal growth goals?

The Promise

The final, and cheesiest, part of this check-in is a sort of contract, a promise to yourself that all of the honest reflection you just did will not go to waste. It is a promise to yourself that if you got off track in the beginning of the year you will get back on, and you will see your hard work through to the end.

Again, it’s cheesy, I know. But I believe the promises we make to ourselves are incredibly important, especially when it comes to improving our lives and wellbeing. 

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! I am excited to be on this journey with you and I hope that this midyear check-in can help you reach your goals and avoid the failed resolution slump just as it is helping me. If you try it out and find it helpful, please leave a comment. I would love to hear what was most beneficial for you and cheer you on in your growth through the rest of this year!