As you begin the second half of 2019 the best advice I can give is for you to set aside an hour and give yourself a mid-year review. Perhaps you have to go through your organizations’ mid-year process already, but I’m encouraging you to do it differently this year.

For some, you may dislike the process of self-reflection. If you don’t do it often it likely feels difficult. You may even feel that it’s a waste of time. The bigger waste of time would be going through the motions for another 6 months without thinking about where you are, where you are headed, and where you want to end up.

The most important part of the mid-year is the quality of the questions you ask yourself. Get genuinely curious. Be sincere. Be authentic. The better questions you ask the better answers you’ll find. And the more value you’ll get from the exercise.

Start by considering where you are today. Then ask yourself, if you didn’t make any changes, what direction are you headed in. Finally, is this direction going to lead you to where you ultimately want to be?

See the mid-year review as an investment – an investment of energy and time – into yourself. The way to get more return on this investment is asking better questions. Consider asking the following:

• What’s worked well that you want to continue to do? What have you accomplished? What do you feel proud of? What can you highlight?
• Where haven’t you made as much progress as you’d like? Why? What is holding you back? What do you need to do differently?
• Where might you need some extra help or support? Who can provide this support?

These questions can help you get clear on your priorities in the second half of the year. Take the time to consider the most important outcomes you want to make happen in the next six months. Sure, there’s a lot you likely want to get done, but what truly are the priorities? If you could only follow through with 1 thing over the remainder of 2019 what would it be?

And if you lead people your job doesn’t stop there. Once you complete your mid-year, you need to turn to your people and help them do the same. Help coach and guide them through the process. Ask and expect them to do the same level of sincere, deep self-reflection. Share with them these questions, or others, that can help spark some insight.

Approach the mid-year differently this year, get more out of it by asking better questions, and get to work creating an incredible second half of 2019!