Hooray! We’re halfway through the year. I say “hooray” because the second half of the year has so many of my favorite things- football, pumpkin season, and Christmas. This led me to ask myself a bizarre “would you rather” question- would you rather get rid of January-June, or July-December? January and February are our best weather months, and March is my birthday- but I would still choose to keep July-December. Obviously.
ANYWAY. On Best Laid Plans and Best of Both Worlds this week, Laura and Sarah did a mid-year goal check-in. I figured I should do that too, but then literally couldn’t remember if I set goals. Did I? I know I had a word of the year, which was… er… it was… engage. Yes, that’s it.
I looked through an old notebook and found a half-finished list of goals for 2025 (I really should start taking this more seriously!) Interestingly, I did accomplish many of them. In the “Health” category- I got a mammogram, I’m getting a pap smear today, I took my daughter to the dentist. Still haven’t gone to the dermatologist, or read Why We Sleep (I own the book, but haven’t read it).
Under”Fitness” I had “run a 50 mile race.” Check! I also had “train for and run a 5K.” Well… that could still happen. I also had “set a strength training goal”, and I definitely haven’t done that. I mean, I’ve been strength training, but I haven’t gotten organized about it like I had hoped.
Reading! Now here’s an area where I’m succeeding. I had a goal to read 60 books this year, and I’m now at 28. My goal was also to read one long book per month, and I’ve done that (although I have no long book picked out for July yet). Lately I’ve really picked up the pace of my reading, so if I continue like this, I should reach 60 books for the year.
I also had “make a will” on this list, and we did it! Did you know you can order a will online, fill it out, and bring it to a notary? The notary actually provided the two witnesses we needed to sign it. It was almost too easy… we definitely should have done it a long time ago.
Under “Fun” I said I wanted to do two mini adventures on my own. Hmm. Does going up to Ocala to run my race in April count? Let’s say yes. My upcoming trip will be mostly with my son, so I can’t count that. I’ll have to think of another one. I also said I wanted to send out postcards every month, and that has been an epic fail. But I do OWN postcards, so hopefully this will nudge me to start writing and sending them.
In spite of the fact that I half-assed my goals list and then never looked at it again until now, I’m not really doing that badly! Think what I could accomplish if I put a little more effort into it, and did a monthly or even quarterly check-in. But, this mid year check-in was definitely worthwhile.
Did you set goals for 2025? Have you done a mid-year check-in?
Which months would you get rid of- January-June or July-December?
Top photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash
21 Responses
interesting concept to get rid a month. Maybe January? post holiday sadness, and maybe august, same reason.
I love summer vibe and holiday vibe the most!
Oh, if I could get rid of one month, it would DEFINITELY be January!!!
WHATTT!?! that’s our BEST WEATHER MONTH JENNY 🙂 🙂 !!! I absolutely love January. But maybe I’m weird!!!!
I would ditch October. UGH!
When the rest of the world is talking about fall and it’s 90 and 99% here . . just noooooo!
I love this check-in, Jenny! You’ve already knocked so many goals out of the park. Just look at that 50-miler!
Years ago, I almost hesitated to sign up for a tough translator diploma, but the interviewer told me, “Aim high.” I’ve never forgotten that. Even if we only reach halfway, it means we’ve come a long way – and you’ve definitely done that in this first half of the year!
Yes, I love that- aim high. Why not?
Big ups for getting the will done! I remember feeling such a sense of peace when I did mine. And of course, when your list of goals that you accomplished includes RUNNING A 50 MILE RACE, that’s a complete list right there.
I remember that the beginning of the year was very overwhelming and I never did get my thoughts organized. But I’ve done a bunch of travel so that’s been very satisfying.
I’m stumped by the would you rather! Jan & Feb are awful weather months and so dark (pro tip: spend a week in FL to cope), but if I cut the first half of the year out I’d miss spring and early summer. Then on the back half Jul and Aug are always too hot, we get Sept & Oct to enjoy fall, and then Nov and Dec get dark and cold but that’s when all of the good holidays are…oh wait you’re saying that there is something good and something bad about every season. Point taken!
Yes, but I would still choose to get rid of the first half of the year (if I had to choose, that is.) I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to choose, since as you said there are some good things in there.
I don’t think you need to even train for a 5K, you could run that today. Seriously! You are always doing 3 mile runs and it’s the same thing, minus 0.1 of a mile. So, I mean, check? It feels to me like you’re doing great on the goals!
I hadn’t really set firm goals, other than one for novel writing, and general nebulous goals like “be in the moment” etc.
I’m so glad you’re getting that will done! So important! None of us wants to think about dying and yet it’s so important to have those things in order.
Well- I could definitely RUN a 5k, but racing a 5K would be a different matter. I would want to be running a little (ahem) faster than I am now.
When we were doing our wills my husband kept saying “this is so depressing!” Yes, EVERYONE feels that way! Just get it done… sheesh.
You’ve done a lot so far this year! The 50 miler is a big deal!
I didn’t really set any concrete goals, though I did aim to finish my first 100K back in January and ended up DNFing but still achieved a distance PR of 52 miles so I’m still counting that. My next race is a 50K at the end of September and I would really like to finish that though I never set any time goals for my races, just want to finish feeling good!
Our better weather is also in the first half of the year but I can’t get rid of the second half because my birthday is in July and then of course the holiday season. I would say my least favorite month is probably January because it feels like a letdown after the holidays and the mornings are really dark and cold which makes it tough to get out for runs.
Yes, January is hard. Which is ironic because I spend the whole summer (and fall) complaining about the weather here, and January is usually beautiful. But I do have a tremendous letdown after the holidays, and you’re right- it’s a pretty dark month.
I definitely would not set a time goal for an ultra- I would end up disappointed every time if I did that.
I don’t have “goals” but I had fun ideas and I’ve already managed to do a lot of them. Some are year-long things (like send snail mail out every single month, visit my favourite coffee shop at least once a month), so I won’t be able to officially “cross them off” until the end of the year.
I would definitely choose July – December. I don’t really like July (or early August) because of the heat, but late August to mid October is my absolute favourite time (weather wise) in the whole year. And I love, love, love Christmas!!!!
Yes, we’re definitely holiday twins. The heat is terrible here in the summer, but I still enjoy the laid back vibe. And of course knowing that the next things that’s going to happen is… holidays!
Could we get rid of March through August instead? I hate summer but love fall.
I had no goals, so every goal was a success. My word of the year was “untangle,” and let’s just say that’s the opposite of what’s going on- Roadblocks, wrong turns, dead ends.
Glad you’re hitting so many of your goals!
Yes, we could get rid of March-August! I’ll vote for that.
I’m sorry to hear that your year sounds pretty difficult. And you’re in the middle of your least favorite season. Well- hang in there. Fall is coming, and I hope your life gets less tangly.
I would 100% get rid of Jan-Jun even though mine and Paul’s bdays fall in Feb/Mar. We can shift to the fall. Winter really starts to get old fast in those late winter months. And there aren’t any holidays I have a strong attachment to. Summer/fall are my favorite seasons so give me that on repeat, and like 1 month of winter.
I did 25 in 25 this year. I’ve completed 7, several are in process, and some haven’t been started, like hosting 2-3 game nights. I need to find a time to go to a yoga class and to go to an orange theory class. Those would be easy to knock out. I was thinking I could do an OT class while traveling but it seems like they fill up fast so it might be best to do that at home. I did try to see if I could go to a Core Power Yoga class (I wanted to do yoga sculpt) when I was staying in Arlington, but the class was full and had a wait list.
I tried to do 25 in 25 but never finished it (that’s why my list was half-baked.) I can see how it would be hard to schedule these things while you’re traveling- which is a shame, because you probably have a little more flexibility in your schedule without the kids. Well- nothing is set in stone. Gretchen and Elizabeth don’t end up achieving all 25 of their goals- it’s just something to shoot for.
I would also get rid of Jan-Jun, although it would cut off May, which is an excellent month.
I saw a meme that said we are now closer to 2050 than 2000 and that is terrifying, right? The hands of time keep marching!
My goals are so so this year. It’s been a challenging year (two years, actually, but who is counting?) and some of my goals would require me to have a bit more free time than I actually do, so…here we are. I’m getting some stuff done and what I like about the goal setting process is that it shows me what my priorities really are when time is limited.
I do not set goals. I do not check to see how I’m doing midway through the year. Sometimes life is busy enough and I feel like getting laundry done and people fed and all the other daily tasks I have on my plate are enough. Tough question on which part of the year I’d choose. I’d probably align with you. Overall I can do without winter. Blah.
Did I have goals??? I don’t remember.
I did write an update. Does that count?
Maybe I can write goals now – 100 gym visits, 50 books read, 2 new races and no DNS or DNF.
There you go. LOL
I am not quite sure how I’m progressing on my 2025 goals – I need to do my quarterly check-in soon! But I know after Q1, I was doing okay. I’ll probably need to kick things into high gear for the second half of the year, though.
I have trouble with figuring out which part of the year I’d get rid of. If we get rid of July – December, we’d get to miss hurricane season! And after last year, I am so down for that! But then I’d miss football and birthdays and the holidays. Such a conundrum!