Friends, it’s that time of year again. We’re halfway through 2024, which means I’m doing my annual mid-year check-in. This is an annual practice that helps me make sure I stick to the goals I set in January, reevaluate those that no longer feel consistent, and maybe add some new ones. I love this process, I liken it to checking my bank account. If I don’t stay up to date, I can easily feel disconnected and off track, essentially ensuring I won’t achieve my goals.
“Where the attention is, there the energy is.”
How to create a mid-year vision board
Isn’t that true of everything we focus on? From experience, whenever I put my energy into a goal or an idea, transformation starts to happen. Recently, I started journaling in the morning and evening thanks to my friend Gustavo’s six-month meditation journal, Grounded Practice. This is a simple and easy way to start my day by focusing on where I want my attention to go. It also reminds me of where I want to be in the future and what’s important now. This act of reflecting and connecting with my intentions allows me to start my day in a productive, grounded, and calm way.
My journaling practice piqued my curiosity as to what my goals and dreams would look like for the rest of the year. This led me to the vision board kit Camille created for Casa Zuma. While I’ve been hesitant to start doing this in the past, I know firsthand the power of expressing intention to the world. I had nothing to lose, so I did it.
Here’s how I did a mid-year check-in and added some goals with the help of a new vision board.
celebrate your victory
First, celebrate what I have accomplished so far. Even if I don’t reach my exact goal at this point, but I’ve made some progress, that’s worth celebrating. At the beginning of this year, I knew I needed to make some lifestyle changes. While some of this didn’t start until spring, like when I stopped drinking in April, it was a win because I continued to listen to my body. Now, I can proudly say that I haven’t had a drink in over 100 days.
Take stock of your progress
At the beginning of the year, I set some financial benchmarks and I’m headed in the right direction. With this, I celebrate all the changes and transformations I have made to get to this point, which continues to keep me accountable and on track. Taking stock of where I am gives me the opportunity to change my behavior if needed. In terms of financial goals, I started thinking about budgeting for meals and entertainment, travel, and a “fun fund.” Do I need to pump the rest in any direction? Add more savings? PS, one of my favorite tips is that when I travel for work, I put all the money I spend on groceries, gas, etc. directly into my savings. Add it up!
Identify goals you no longer need
I’m sure we’ve all done this. At some point we set a goal or intention but we realize that it is no longer our interest or something we want. One of the wonderful parts of being an adult is changing our minds and investing in the people, things, ideas, and goals that make us happy and get us where we need to be. In my case, I set some travel and relationship-based goals in January, but they no longer apply to me. Now, I have replaced them with other things that I enjoy seeing, doing, and achieving.
Q: What’s missing?
This is what interests me most about visual lodging. I looked at my goals and realized I had set intentions around finances, health, family, friends, home, travel, and even my nervous system. But one thing was missing: I didn’t leave much room to play. Heck, I had an entire savings account dedicated to fun and travel but realized I wasn’t really utilizing it. I just wanted to save money and didn’t give myself much room to play.
I used the prompts included in the vision board kit and started thinking about places both locally in Austin and outside of Austin that inspired me and/or that I wanted to visit. This is a great practice if you’re like me and can sometimes get a little too frugal. While I have most of my travel planned for this year, I’m still leaving room mentally and financially for new places.
Reflection: What is inspiring?
Do you have any big goals, dreams, or something that really inspires you right now? Maybe it’s a home renovation designed to bring a sense of calm and comfort to your residence. Maybe this is your dream corporate job. For me, in the most immediate sense, knowing that Saturday Night Live will celebrate its 50th season in 2025, I have set the bar very high for taping the show. Now, if I do it in 2024, that would be great, still a win, but I’ve wanted to do the taping since high school and now I’m finally putting the energy in to make it happen. So SNL is front and center on my board and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
It’s a fun time to think about: What’s the one thing that will definitely excite you this year?
Check: How do I want to feel?
I have thought a lot about this issue: How do I want to feel on December 31, 2024? For me, the answer is calm and realistic. Slowing down is still a theme for me, and to my surprise, not drinking really helps with that. I like knowing how I want to feel so I can make decisions that support those goals. I picture myself not racing toward any kind of year-end finish line, saying “yes” to the things that bring me joy and peace and “no” to everything else. Therefore, the words “relaxation,” “peace,” and “rest” adorn my blackboard.
Your Mid-Year Vision Board: Next Steps
To make sure I’m moving toward my goals and improving as needed, I set a reminder to check in and evaluate my progress on the 15th of every month. When I sit down to journal in the morning with my coffee or matcha, I use that time to take a few deep breaths and check in on the goals I have set. I make adjustments, celebrate wins, and find new and inspiring ways to move forward and continue to grow.
You can get your own vision board kit here!
