You know how it goes - we celebrate New Year with fireworks and champagne and, once the parties are over, we’re ready and fired up to tackle our goals and resolutions. But come summer, our motivation seems to have faded, and we’re more likely to be found sipping a cocktail with friends than hiding away, poring over our business plan. We need rest and relaxation in order to be at our most productive, but if you feel like you’ve gone too far and your motivation’s experiencing a mid-year slump, it’s time to get inspired again.

Hone in on your vision

The first step to kicking the mid-year slump is to hone in on your vision. Why do you want to achieve your goals? What are you trying to build for the future? If you’re a visual person, consider making a vision board by selecting images from magazines that embody your goal. Maybe you’re taking on extra projects to save for a luxury holiday in Mykonos. Maybe you want to run a marathon. Maybe you want to land a job at Pinterest. Whatever the dream, get clear on your vision. Sometimes, remembering why you started is enough to get you fired up again.

Revisit your goals

Now we’ve covered the big picture, it’s time to get clear on the steps you need to take to build your dream. As the saying goes, a goal without a plan is just a wish. So grab a cup of tea and your planner, and revisit the goals you set yourself at the start of the year. Which goals have you ticked off? Which are still on the list? If you find you haven't met many of the goals you set at New Year, it’s possible that you weren't realistic enough. Have another look at those goals. Is there a way for you to break them down further? Can you identify anything that’s getting in the way of you achieving that goal? Make sure you schedule in half an hour on a weekly or monthly basis to check in with your goals, to help you stay on track. That way, you'll be able to make adjustments as you go along, rather than realising at Christmas that you're three months behind where you'd want to be.

Celebrate your wins

Sometimes we find ourselves in a mid-year slump because we haven't taken enough time to celebrate our progress. If you’re always racing to achieve your goals, you risk falling into the trap of always wanting more and never feeling satisfied with where you're at. Avoid this situation by taking time to celebrate your wins on a regular basis, and especially if you’re feeling the mid-year slump! Grab your planner and list the things you’ve achieved this year, both big and small. You might have ticked off a major career or wellness goal, or met some great new friends. Mark your achievements with a celebration, whether that looks like drinks with friends, treating yourself to a massage, or simply taking the afternoon off!

Plan in your fun

On a similar note, staying inspired requires ongoing work. If you want to escape the mid-year slump, it’s important to mix things up. Try out new coffee shops in your area, go for a lunchtime gallery visit, or listen to that podcast you never got round to. If you're busy 24/7, these moments of fun don’t just magically happen - you have to plan for them. At The Circle Planner, we're big fans of helping you make sense of a busy world. If you're overwhelmed and feeling like you're dropping balls all over the place, stop and take a deep breath, and then make a list. Planning in your work, your social life, your exercise and your wellness can help you feel like you've got control, and will ensure your calendar is always full of inspiration-boosting activities. After all, the very best way of getting out of the mid-year slump is to avoid it altogether!