Friday Focus (#6): Mid-year reflections and reset

We’re halfway through the year and I thought it might be worth sharing ten reflections to help pause, refocus, and move forward.

The inbox is still full and the roadmap is still moving along nicely. But somewhere between the early-year ambition and the late-year crunch, the middle of the year offers something rare: perspective.

This isn’t about rewriting your goals or building a second set of resolutions you’ll not stick to. This is about checking in quietly, honestly, and deciding what still deserves your time and energy.

These are 10 questions I’ve been sitting with as we’re approaching July:

1. What’s actually working and why?
   Not just what feels good, but what’s delivering results, energy, or momentum. Name it, understand it, and protect it.

2. What’s just noise?
   What’s eating time, headspace, or team energy without creating any real value? Cutting noise creates focus. Be ruthless!

3. Where have you compromised too much?
   Design quality, team standards, and even personal boundaries. Where have the lines blurred? And what would it take to re-draw them?

4. Are you solving the right problems?
   It’s easy to stay busy but I find it’s harder to stay aligned. Step back and ask yourself if the work is serving the outcomes you really care about.

5. What’s one thing you’ve learned that changed how you work?
   Not a generic lesson but a shift in how you think, lead, design, or decide. Those small, quiet upgrades are often quite powerful.

6. Who needs more of your time, and who needs less?
   Relationships shape impact. Are you really showing up where it matters most or are you spreading yourself too thin across the wrong rooms?

7. Are you working in a way that’s sustainable?
   High standards are good. Burnout isn’t. If the current rhythm isn’t sustainable, it’s not a long-term plan, it’s a countdown. Work smarter, not harder.

8. What do you want to finish before the year ends?
   Zoom out. What would make your year feel complete? Get clear now, and work backwards. As of today, you’ve got 6 months and 11 days. That’s only 194 days! Blimey!

9. Where’s your ambition gone?
   Are you still stretching? Still imagining something really bold? If not, why the hell not? Reclaiming a bit of that ambition can reshape the next six months. Get up and go for it!

10. What do you need to let go of?
    Don’t let the past dictate the future. Get shot of the old priorities, old plans and old versions of success. Letting these go doesn’t mean giving up, it means making room for what’s next. Make it matter.

The middle of the year isn’t loud and doesn’t demand attention. But that’s what makes it powerful. It’s a chance for us all to reset, quietly, calmly, and intentionally.

Back next Friday.

Enjoy your weekend.