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Hey there, innovation champions!

Raise your hand if you love filling out your tax return.

Anyone? Hello?
  

Okay, I didn’t think so. I thought I was done last month when my husband and I got all our files together for our accountant. But no—end of April is when I file my quarterly sales tax returns.

Ugh, amiright?
  

But here’s the surprising thing: I’ve discovered that this dreaded quarterly ritual actually contains a hidden gift.
   

Let me explain…
  

The Forced Pause

While preparing those mind-numbing quarterly returns, something unexpected happened. I found myself reviewing not just my financial numbers, but the entire trajectory of my business over the past few months.
   

For someone like me who has a tendency to go-go-go all the time, this forced stop was like finding water in the desert.
 

And it made me realize: We’re almost halfway through 2025. When was the last time you actually stopped to assess where you are on your innovation journey?
  

Not just checking boxes on your project plan, but truly reflecting on what’s working, what’s not, and what unexpected opportunities might be hiding in plain sight?

The Reset Ritual

This experience reminded me of a pivotal moment from when I was making my living as a professional artist.

I’d been creating commissioned artwork for years, and had settled into a comfortable—but increasingly uninspiring—groove. My work was selling, but something felt off. The spark was fading.

Then came tax season, and as I sorted through receipts and cataloged that year’s pieces, I noticed something: The pieces that brought me the most joy to create were different from the ones that made up the bulk of my business. These experimental works were sitting in a corner of my studio, labeled ‘just for fun’ rather than being integrated into my main offerings.

That simple observation—which I would never have made without the forced pause—completely redirected my artistic journey. I began intentionally incorporating elements from my “just for fun” work into my commissioned pieces. Clients loved it, and suddenly that spark was back.

I didn’t realize it then, but I had just discovered what would later become my Create the Impossible™ framework in action.

The Mid-Year Reset Framework

So how can you harness the power of a mid-year reset to spark new innovation? Let me show you how it maps to my framework:

1. Play Hard: Rediscover Your Curiosity

The first step in my Create the Impossible™ framework is “Play Hard”—approaching challenges with a spirit of curiosity and exploration.

For your mid-year reset, this means intentionally breaking your routine to see things through fresh eyes. Here’s a simple exercise:

Look at the initiatives you’re currently working on and ask:

• Which parts of this work make me lose track of time?
• What would I do differently if this was just for fun?
• What wild experiment have I been putting off because it “doesn’t fit” our approach?

The goal isn’t to abandon your current projects, but to rediscover what sparked your curiosity in the first place.

For me, this meant spreading out photos of all my recent artwork and noticing which pieces made me smile involuntarily. Those smiles were signposts pointing toward innovation opportunities I’d been too busy to notice.

2. Make Crap: Embrace the Mess of Transition

The second part of my framework is “Make Crap”—giving yourself permission to create imperfect first attempts rather than waiting for perfection.

For your mid-year reset, this means getting comfortable with the messiness of transition:

• What if you did a “crappy first draft” of your next six months’ plan?
• What if you sketched out three wildly different directions your current project could take?
• What if you tried a “worst possible idea” brainstorm with your team?

When I did this assessment with my art business, I made what I called “ugly transition pieces”—works that awkwardly combined my commercial style with my experimental impulses. They weren’t masterpieces, but they were necessary bridges to what came next.

3. Learn Fast: Extract the Gold from What’s Not Working

The final element of the Create the Impossible™ framework is “Learn Fast”—turning every experience, especially the challenging ones, into learning opportunities.

For your mid-year reset, this means honestly assessing what’s not working and extracting valuable insights:

• Which initiatives are draining rather than energizing your team?
• What “failure” from the first half of the year holds your most valuable lesson?
• What pattern can you spot across your successful and unsuccessful efforts?

The key is approaching this with curiosity rather than judgment. You’re not looking for someone to blame—you’re mining for gold in unexpected places.

Putting It Into Practice: Your 30-Minute Mid-Year Reset

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “This sounds great, Melissa, but I don’t have time for a major overhaul right now!”

Good news: You don’t need one. In fact, trying to change everything at once is a recipe for overwhelm, not innovation.

Instead, try this 30-minute reset ritual:

First 10 minutes: Review Look back at what you’ve accomplished and attempted so far this year. Notice what energized you and what drained you. Don’t analyze yet—just observe.

Next 10 minutes: Reflect Ask yourself these three questions:

• What unexpected opportunity is hiding in plain sight?
• What am I avoiding because it feels too messy or uncertain?
• What would make the second half of this year feel truly successful?

Final 10 minutes: Reset Choose ONE thing to change. Maybe it’s dedicating 15 minutes each morning to your most creative work. Perhaps it’s scheduling a monthly “experiment day” with your team. Or it could be revisiting an idea you shelved because it seemed too radical.

The power isn’t in overhauling everything—it’s in making one intentional shift based on genuine reflection.

The Unexpected Innovation Catalyst

You know what’s fascinating about this mid-year reset? The catalyst can be anything that forces you to pause—even something as mundane as quarterly tax returns.

In fact, the most powerful innovation catalysts are often hidden in plain sight, disguised as routine administrative tasks or annoying interruptions.

That project delay that’s driving you crazy? It might be offering you the chance to step back and see a better approach.

That unexpected reorganization? It might be creating new connections that spark breakthrough ideas.

That quarterly reporting requirement? It might be your invitation to a mid-year reset that transforms your innovation journey.

The key is recognizing these forced pauses not as annoyances, but as opportunities to reflect, realign, and recommit to creating the impossible.

Your Innovation Reset Challenge

So here’s my challenge to you: In the next week, schedule a 30-minute mid-year reset. Block it on your calendar. Treat it as seriously as you would a meeting with your most important client.

Then use that time to play hard with new possibilities, make crap as you explore transitions, and learn fast from what the first half of the year has taught you.

Remember: The value in setting goals isn’t always reaching them—it’s keeping you moving forward. And sometimes, the best way to move forward is to pause, reflect, and reset.

Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible!

I’d love to hear from you. What unexpected catalyst has sparked innovation in your work? Click here to share your story!

Senior Leaders: Ready to help your team harness the power of strategic reflection? Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session and let’s explore how the Create the Impossible™ framework can transform your team’s approach to mid-year resets and ongoing innovation.