Half Yearly Progress Report (and How to Finish the Year Off Strong)

Life rarely goes according to plan. We adapt based on our circumstances and whatever life throws our way. Our personal and business goals shouldn’t be any different. Setting goals isn’t a “once a year” type of thing and the goals you established at the beginning of the year might not even be relevant anymore - maybe you’ve already accomplished them or have pivoted to a different direction. Whatever the case, we need to regularly assess and reconfigure our goals to keep us moving in the right direction.

Let’s see how you did for the first half of the year.

[Download the checklist here]

1. Reflect 

Be honest with yourself. One of the most challenging aspects of reflection is owning up to the missteps that prevented you from accomplishing your goals. We can’t stress this enough. Self-reflection is crucial for moving forward so you don’t make the same mistakes again. 

• Did I accomplish my goal?
• Why it did or did not happen?
• Where did I fall short and what missteps did I take?
• Were my goals reasonable and attainable?
• Did I commit enough resources and energy towards the goal?
• Were there any unforeseeable circumstances that got in the way?
• Is it still relevant/important?
• How can I improve?

Don’t forget to reflect on the positives as well. 

• What went well?
• What skills did I gain in the process?
• What moments am I most proud of?

[Download the checklist here]

 

2. Plan for success

Now it’s time to take the lessons learned and plan for a successful second half of the year. A quick refresher for setting SMART goals that stick!

• Specific: the more specific and intentional you are with your goals, the better. Doing so helps you bridge the gap on how to get from point A to point B. Instead of “Launch a landing page”, try breaking this down into smaller, actionable steps such as “Finalize website copy, establish font/color scheme, etc."

 

• Measurable: At the end of the day, we need to be able to measure our progress. Seeing progress is one of the most powerful forms of motivation because it means it’s all paying off. Consider quarterly check-in’s with yourself or a friend so can see how you stack up. Make sure it’s the appropriate metric to track (e.g., number of email addresses, followers or sales).
• Attainable: Don’t set yourself up for failure. It’s ok to dream big but be realistic. When we see overly ambitious goals without a clear path to accomplishing it, we end up running around aimlessly without much progress.
• Relevant: Are your goals relevant to your current life and business? We all have other priorities and things happening, so consider whether or not your goals are right at this particular moment.
• Timely: Nothing gets people moving more than a deadline. A target date puts a little bit of welcomed pressure.

 

3. Leverage the right tools

There are plenty of options out there from digital to paper, so find what works best for you. For us, we like to keep it simple with traditional paper and pen through a dedicated planner or notebook. It’s accessible, easy to use, isn’t dependent on WIFI or battery, and distraction-free.

Try this next time: Count how many notifications you receive from email, text and other apps from your phone within a 10 minute window. We’re bombarded with a constant flow of digital notifications on a daily basis, all competing for our brain’s limited attention span. Each buzz or ring distracts us from the task at hand. Stepping away, even for a few minutes, can significantly improve your focus.

 

Don’t forget, there’s a real opportunity cost when trying to juggle all these at once. Multitasking is scientifically proven to slow you down and will decrease productivity. Just like a phone takes time to open up an app, our brain takes time to “warm-up” to a new project or task. Shifting back and forth will leave you less efficient and feeling more stressed.

We recommend placing your phone on do not disturb and spend 10 minutes a week to properly map out your week and goals. Take it one step further and spend five minutes each night or morning to reflect upon what worked and reassess what needs to be done tomorrow.

Another reason we prefer pen and paper is writing forces you to take the time to succinctly summarize your goals in only key words. We have no choice but to actively think through what needs to be accomplished and how

 

4. Keep it simple. Keep it flexible

How often does a day go as planned? Almost never. Things come up, meetings are delayed, schedules are thrown off. That’s life and we have to adapt.

We recommend using a task-based system as opposed to planning things down to the minute. This system provides you with enough structure to keep you organized but is flexible enough to adapt with whatever life throws your way.

Be flexible, roll with it and find a system that works for you.

 

5. Prioritization

How do you prioritize the seemingly endless and equally important number of tasks?

Prioritization is crucial and what will separate the successful apart. We all have the same 24 hours so we have to work smart in order to maximize our productivity. You can work the same number of hours and as “hard” as Elon Musk but produce less than 1/10th of the results. It about prioritization and how you spend your time.

Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on low yielding tasks that simply don’t matter. We all feel a sense of accomplishment whenever a finish a task. We get a boost of confidence and serotonin whenever we can cross something off our to do list - even if it’s just “picking up the dry cleaners”. But not all tasks are created equal. Nor do all tasks have the ability to push your business forward.

Spend less time and energy worrying about low yielding tasks.

 

6. Staying accountable

It’s easy to be productive and work on your business when you’re motivated. The challenge is being productive when you’re not feeling it. When you’re tired, unmotivated and discouraged. Here are a few ways to help stay consistent, accountable and most importantly, productive. 

• Find a trusted friend or mentor and set up regular check in’s.
• Get active in forums and other social media channels. This develops a form of “social pressure” as others will rely on you for input and a response.
• Remind yourself of your why. The reason behind your early mornings and late nights. Are you doing this for yourself and the thought of a better future? Maybe it’s family & friends. Or the fact you can’t stand your current employer? Whatever it is, write it down, keep it close and refer to it when you need a quick boost of motivation.  

• Count your wins. Mark a big “X” for each day you were able to push your ideas forward. It’s no different than tracking the number of times you went to the gym for the month. Keep your progress streak alive

There will be weeks where you’re firing on all cylinders, highly productive and crushing it. Other weeks won’t be as great. And that’s ok. What’s important is you push forward consistently. Slow progress is always better than no progress.

Download our free weekly template below to start planning the right way and improve your productivity in under 4 weeks.

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