As we reach the midpoint of the calendar year, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and evaluate your business’ progress. Are you on track to meet the goals you set in January? Have you stayed aligned with your strategy or drifted from the path?
In this episode, we look at the importance of a mid-year check-in, including:
- How to make the review simple
- Which areas to look at
- Using the keep, fix, drop method
Why Mid-Year Reflection Matters
Too often, business plans are created with enthusiasm and then set aside. But a static plan can quickly become irrelevant. The reality is, you should treat your business plan as a living tool, one that evolves with you.
Mid-year is ideal for asking: Is my activity in line with my plan and still supporting my goals? If the answer isn’t a confident ‘yes’, it’s time to assess, adjust, and refocus.
Start With Two Simple Questions
To kick off your review, ask yourself:
- What’s working that I should keep or do more of?
- What’s not working and how can I fix it or let it go?
These two questions form the foundation for intentional, strategic improvement. They prevent you from making changes for the sake of change and instead guide you to focus your energy where it counts.
Key Areas to Review
Here are four essential areas to evaluate:
1. Revenue and Profitability
Are your financials tracking against your projections? Look closely at which offerings bring in sustainable, high-value clients. Ask: Are we charging what we’re worth? and Is our pricing model still relevant?
2. Marketing Performance
Is your message resonating with your audience? Review how each channel of social media, email marketing, networking, SEO, is performing. Are you still attracting the right leads? If not, it may be time to revise your positioning or platform mix.
3. Operations and Delivery
Consider how efficiently your business delivers its products or services. Are you (or your team) burning out? Are systems helping or hindering productivity? A few tweaks here can create major improvements in consistency and client satisfaction.
4. Strategy and Goal Alignment
Check whether your daily activities and short-term wins are contributing to long-term goals. If you’ve been pulled in a different direction, consider whether that’s distraction or valuable evolution.
Apply the ‘Keep, Fix, Drop’ Framework
You don’t need to rewrite your entire business plan. Often, targeted adjustments are all that’s needed.
That’s where the Keep, Fix, Drop method comes in:
Keep: Continue what’s working. These are strategies, tools, and practices that consistently deliver value.
Example: “Our referral system brings in great clients – let’s double down.”
Fix: Address areas that aren’t performing as well as they could. Maybe it’s your lead nurture sequence or your project management workflow.
Example: “Our onboarding emails aren’t converting – we’ll test clearer calls to action”.
Drop: Let go of what’s draining your energy or producing little return. Removing outdated tactics is often more productive than adding new ones.
Example: “Our weekly podcast takes too much time with minimal ROI – it’s time to pause.”
Take Action: Book a 60-Minute Strategy Session With Yourself
This week, carve out just one hour to work on your business. Print out your business plan. Use the Keep, Fix, Drop framework to guide your notes. Ask yourself honest, challenging questions. Then revise your roadmap for the next 90 days.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to move you forward.
You’re Not Alone
To support this process, I’ve created a free workbook you can use to guide your mid-year review. It’s available via the link in the resources section. Download it, print it out, and make the time to reflect. Your business and your peace of mind will thank you.
Remember, progress isn’t about constant hustle. It’s about intentional alignment. You’ve got six months left in the year, make them count.
Highlights
- 00:20 The Importance of a Mid-Year Business Check-In
- 00:35 Reflecting on Your Business Plan
- 01:55 Key Areas to Review
- 02:48 The Keep, Fix, Drop Framework
- 03:39 Your Weekly Challenge
- 04:13 Conclusion and Support