Hopefully, no – but quite possibly, yes. Ideally, lines of communication and progress remain open year-round so that nothing new is introduced at an annual review. But sometimes, things don’t happen quite like the ideal.

Similarly, we can easily reach the end of a year and find ourselves surprised by how our own plans have – or have not – played out. Perhaps you have experienced this before: You started the year with gusto, setting specific and measurable goals and taking inspired action. Then things fizzled, life got busy, and before you knew it December approached and you weren’t quite where you thought you would be.

If this sounds frustratingly familiar, it’s time for a new approach!

For the past 15 years or so, I’ve conducted what I call a “Midyear Life Review.” I set aside a few hours, choose a quiet location (often a coffee shop, park or lakeside), and bring nothing with me but a journal, pen and my Midyear Life Review questions. I leave potential distractions (I’m looking at you, smartphone) at home and consider this time a gift to myself.

I recently mentioned this ritual to a few coaching clients, who all shared the same question: “What kinds of things do you ask yourself?”

There really is no right or wrong way to conduct a Midyear Life Review. The quality of your answers depends, however, on the quality of your questions, so I suggest keeping them open and curious, and geared toward growth (rather than judgment or self-criticism, for example). Some questions you might address include:

What questions would you add to your Midyear Life Review? Set aside an afternoon this summer and enjoy this date with yourself. Here’s to making the next half of your year the best half of the year.