We think a lot about beginnings and endings.

Beginnings often come with a rush of excitement that tends to overwhelm the also attendant anxiety.

Endings are when we look back. We celebrate the wins, course-correct for losses, and look to a new beginning. Endings come with a sense of closure and finality.

Photo by Ivy Schexnayder on Unsplash

But what about the middle?

How often do we stop in the middle of a project and ask questions like:

• What’s going well so far?
• What is not going as I had hoped?
• What am I grateful for?
• What are the opportunities ahead?
• What do I need to let go?
• What should I do next to make progress toward my goals?

We just rounded the halfway point of 2021. Taking 15 minutes to answer the above questions (or whatever questions make sense to you) may not give you a rush of energy or a deep sense of finality.

But this bit of self-reflection may well be what you need to move productively into the second half of the year.

Question: What middle-of-the-year question do you find most helpful? You can leave a comment by clicking here.