What is a mid-year review and why is it important?
A mid-year review is a structured self-assessment that helps professionals evaluate performance, productivity, time management, and goals at the halfway point of the year. A thoughtful mid-year review can help identify opportunities, address challenges, and create a more intentional plan for a successful second half of 2026.
Reassessing Your Goals and Productivity
June is a useful time to give yourself an honest self-assessment. The height of summer brings with it its own challenges and right now is the time to make shifts that will make all the difference by year-end. It’s a chance to root out any productivity and time management problems that could hold you back from a more successful (and peaceful) Q3 and Q4 and harness new opportunities.
And honestly, you also deserve to take some truly restful, restorative vacations from your business this summer. Taking breaks is part of good time management. (Let me repeat that a little bit louder for anyone who feels guilty clocking out early on a summer Friday: Taking breaks is part of good time management. And it’s impossible to keep working at peak productivity if you’re burned out.)
When you do take those much-earned long weekends and vacations, I want you to have the peace that comes with knowing things are handled at work. Not just for the week you’re out of the office, but longer term.
Questions to Ask Yourself in a 2026 Mid-Year Review
#1: How did you do in the first half of the year, financially?
Obviously this is a complicated question, especially if you run your own business. But broadly speaking, how much did you net in the first half of 2026? What, if anything, could you have done differently that would have increased your earnings?
#2: What are you proudest of having accomplished?
Maybe it’s a specific project or presentation you know you nailed. Or, a way you went above and beyond to add value to your clients’ service. Celebrate your wins and let yourself feel proud without adding any caveats (e.g. “…but I could have done it even better…”). You’ve already accomplished a lot this year and you deserve to revel in that.
#3: What could have gone better?
Again, you might think of specific events (e.g., botching a report, navigating conflict with a client) or broader missed opportunities. Did time management problems keep you from working at peak productivity? Did you waste time on things that were, in retrospect, low priority?
#4: What would peers say?
Think through the people you interact with the most at work. What do you think they observed from you so far this year? What do you think they would say are your strengths and weaknesses?
#5: How’s that work/life balance thing going?
You might have missed some events on the personal side because of work, or dropped a few balls at work because of something personal. But overall, does the balance feel right?
#6: What skills would you love to strengthen?
Think through technical skills (like using AI), soft skills (like public speaking), and productivity skills (like managing your calendar). Whether or not you’re ready to pursue professional training courses right now, it’s still useful to be aware of the areas where you’d like to pursue personal development.
#7: What goals are you focused on for the next 6 months?
Make sure your top goals for the rest of 2026 are grounded in your values and aligned with your peak priorities. They should be things you have real intrinsic motivation to work toward. They may or may not be the same goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year.
#8: Where did you waste the most time so far this year?
Maybe you’ll think of actual business activities that didn’t pay off, like social media efforts that didn’t bring in any new clients. Time you spent on low-priority tasks, or time you spent overwhelmed and unable to move forward, could also be time you feel you wasted. Or, procrastination might be your biggest time thief. Notice all the places you lost control of your time so far this year so you can proactively make different choices in the latter half.
#9: Do you have adequate support and structures in place to help you succeed in the second half of the year?
Notice those little repetitive tasks and friction points that tend to add extra stress to your day or deplete your resources, then look for ways to build supports around yourself to minimize that friction. For example: a reliable dog-walker you can always count on when you work late, or a part-time assistant to help you manage your email and calendar. People and systems that can pick up your slack and whom you can trust to just cover certain things for you while you focus on other work.
#10: How satisfied are you in your business?
Does the work feel fulfilling and interesting and important to you? If certain parts of your work are much more satisfying than others, that’s worth looking at. Can you shift your time management strategies to make more time for the activities that really fuel you and start to do less of the others?
Need more personal support increasing productivity and getting time management strategies in place?
Join me on July 22 at 12PM ET for The Attorney’s Guide to a More Sustainable Workweek. In this (free!) masterclass I’ll be sharing productivity strategies specifically designed to help attorneys reduce stress and get billable work done without sacrificing everything on the personal side. It’s a one-hour, no-cost session that could help you free up dozens of hours in the coming months. Click here for more information and to save your spot.
Be well,
Sarah
FAQs About Mid-Year Productivity Reviews
Q: When should attorneys conduct a mid-year review?
A: June and early July are ideal times for attorneys to conduct a mid-year review. Reviewing your performance halfway through the year gives you enough time to make strategic adjustments before year-end.
Q: What should be included in a mid-year performance review?
A: A strong mid-year performance review should include financial results, productivity habits, time management effectiveness, client service outcomes, professional development goals, and work-life balance considerations.
Q: How can a mid-year review improve productivity?
A: A mid-year review helps identify time-wasting activities, workflow bottlenecks, and productivity challenges that may be limiting performance. Once identified, these issues can be addressed with better systems, delegation, and time management strategies.
Q: Why is work-life balance important for attorneys?
A: Sustainable productivity depends on recovery. Taking regular breaks, vacations, and time away from work helps attorneys maintain focus, reduce burnout, and perform at a higher level over the long term.es.
