We’re at that point in the year where we can see the new one on the horizon.
We’ve lived through Valentine’s Day, honoured Independence Day and chopped five different holidays in May. We’ve survived Gemini season, begrudgingly welcomed winter and now July has arrived with a mid-year performance review.
While 2020 taught us never to claim a year as our own, the best of us still had plans for 2026. We wanted to launch that business, grow that social media account, start a fitness journey, travel, pursue a new stream of income or take up a new hobby.
If this was your year to do any of the above, you have six months to get back on track, begin or lock in.
But first, a mid-year life audit. With just six months until 2027, let’s take stock of the year so far. From your personal to your financial health, here are some things to consider.
First, and to quote celebrated Namibian hip-hop trio Black Vulcanite, let’s remember the future. Six months ago, when you trotted out your new year’s resolutions, good and gleaming as they were, what did you imagine your life would look like right now?
July is as good a time as any to take another look at your initial goals, recommit to the ones you’re busy with or get going on things that may have fallen by the wayside.
As a primer to any incoming self-flagellation, July is also an apt moment to celebrate your wins. If you’ve been putting in the work to achieve your goals, now is the time for a tangible pat on the back.
If your goals were in the realm of financial health or saving, I’m not saying spontaneously book a European holiday. Similarly, if you’ve been working on your physical health, let’s not take two weeks off those workouts or rekindle that spark with junk food.
But definitely do something nice, eat something delicious and indulge reasonably to celebrate your dedication. The long haul isn’t as gruelling when we take a few moments to commend ourselves for largely staying the course.
Once you’ve reminded yourself how amazing you are, let’s get into tracking failure. With your unmet or stagnant goals in hand, ask yourself where you’re falling short and why that may be.
Identifying pitfalls like poor time management, toxic relationships, too much doomscrolling, excess bed-rotting, just plain procrastination or sustained ill health can help pinpoint what’s holding you back.
When you’ve identified your weaknesses, weak spots or distractions, the next stop is an action plan. How are you going to manifest the life you envisioned when you set your goals and intentions earlier this year? What practical, real-world things do you need to do to achieve your goals?
Start small. Write down what you need to do. If your goal is to exercise regularly, ask yourself how your life would need to change to do so. Would you need to get up an hour earlier to go for a walk? Would you join a gym or regularly do YouTube workouts after dinner? Keep asking questions until you have a plan that answers those questions as practical steps and commitments.
Should you want to start a business, have you done your research, gauged market interest, drawn up a budget or familiarised yourself with the practical aspects of registering your company?
Maybe you want to read more. Have you bought a book that intrigues you, joined a book club or implemented a no-screens rule past 20h00 so you’re encouraged to read for an hour?
If the plan is to eat better and order fewer takeaways, have you designated a day for grocery shopping and budgeted time for cooking or for meal prep?
The little things are stepping stones to the bigger things and having a plan helps structure your time, build constructive habits and momentum and assists in holding yourself accountable.
While a mid-year life audit isn’t the easiest on the ego and is actually a prelude to even more self-work, taking a moment to realign and recommit to your goals is worth the discomfort of acknowledging you aren’t currently where you hoped you would be.
2026 is still here and so are you.
Cheers to making the most of a year that’s still yours for the taking.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
