Mid-Year Check-In: 5 Things Every CEO Should Prioritize Now

We’re halfway through the year, and if we’re honest, it’s easy to lose focus during this stretch. Summer can feel like a slow season, and between vacation schedules, project fatigue, and shifting priorities, many CEOs fall into reactive mode. But this is your moment to pause, reassess, and realign before Q4 sneaks up.

Whether you’ve crushed your Q1 goals or you’re realizing some things need to shift, mid-June is the perfect time to step into intentional leadership.

Here are five things every CEO should prioritize now to ensure the second half of the year is fruitful:

1. Review What’s Actually Working (and What’s Not)

Not everything you started the year with deserves to come with you into Q3 and Q4. Pull out your original goals or strategic plan and ask:

• What goals have been met or exceeded?

• What’s still in progress, and why?

• What initiatives are draining resources but yielding little return?

This is pruning season. Like John 15:2 reminds us, God "cuts off every branch that bears no fruit... so that it will be even more fruitful." Don’t be afraid to let go of what’s no longer aligned.

2. Reconnect with Your Mission and Metrics

Mid-year is an ideal time to realign your team and your calendar with the mission. What are you really trying to accomplish? Where are you measuring impact and outcomes? Where are you just “staying busy”?

3. Assess Team Capacity and Delegation Gaps

Are you (still) doing things someone else could be doing?

Many CEOs carry too much simply because it’s “just faster if I do it.” But that mindset limits scalability. Now is the time to reassess your time stewardship. What roles or tasks can you delegate, automate, or systematize?

Ask yourself:

• What would I stop doing today if I fully trusted someone else to handle it?

• Where is my team underutilized or overwhelmed?

4. Recalibrate Your Calendar

Is your week aligned with your top priorities, or just filled with busyness?

Take a full audit of your recurring meetings, time blocks, and personal commitments. Create space for vision time, rest, and CEO-only work, the strategic, big-picture tasks only you can do.

If your calendar doesn’t reflect your goals, neither will your outcomes.

5. Reignite Your Faith for What’s Still Possible

It’s not too late to turn the year around. In fact, some of your best opportunities may still be ahead of you.

God doesn’t work on our timelines. Maybe your Q1 was quiet because your Q3 is about to burst wide open. But don’t miss it because you're discouraged, distracted, or too drained to discern what’s next.

Psalm 1:3 says, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.” Your job is to stay planted, stay available, and stay expectant.

The rest of this year doesn’t have to look like the first half. As a faith-driven CEO, you are not operating on your strength alone. Take time this month to realign, delegate, rest, and move with renewed clarity. Consider the mid-year as a divine checkpoint.

Refocus now, and you’ll finish this year stronger than you started.

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About the Author:

Ebony James is an executive assistant and operations manager, and founder of The Empire Effect Agency, helping leaders maximize their time, scale their impact, and increase their revenue. Learn more and connect with her on LinkedIn.