As I get ready to go on my long-awaited holiday to Cornwall at the end of this week I am very aware that as soon as I return I need to be ready to SMASH September.
For me, September is a new start of a business year. Why is that? well, I started Auxilium 4 years ago this year and so the cycle for me starts in September, not January. It also coincides with schools going back and my Birthday, so I associate September with renewed vigor and celebrations. Sometimes after the summer, we have the blues or a slump so I always make sure that my September is jam-packed so that I can SMASH September!
So September should be a time for BACK TO BUSINESS not BACK TO BUSY-NESS……….in order to SMASH SEPTEMBER, but how do I manage that?
- Plan the month ahead. I am away at the end of August so I make sure that I have a few slower days before I go on holiday and ensure that when I get back everything is planned. I have a couple of new projects to start this September, so I need to ensure I have booked out some planning time, breaking up the components to ensure that even routine tasks are covered. Doing this will save so much time and stop procrastination when I return, enabling me to return from holiday with a clear plan and hit the ground running.
- Break Free from being busy. I find when I get busy writing down all the things that seem to repeat and annoy me helps me to see clearly what someone else could do for me so that I can delegate tasks. I talk to clients all the time about this and it is vital for your own sanity to do what you do best and outsource the rest. Outsourcing means that you and your business are running efficiently and that you are focussing your time and actions in the right places. At least consider buddying up with someone to chat over areas to outsource. Via my networking sources, there is ALWAYS someone who can help and it doesn’t always cost a lot of money. Once you have outsourced you will wonder why you haven’t done it before. In September as part of my reset, I am getting a cleaning company to come and clean my house on a regular basis. Obviously, I do clean but I just don’t have time for that deep clean that we all wish we had time for, so I am outsourcing to a professional.
- If being busy stresses you out the best way to destress is to change your work environment. So that might mean standing up not sitting at your desk, changing the room that you work from, taking a walk in the garden or walk around the block, listening to music or a podcast. I often leave my post to build up and take a walk to the post box at lunchtime. or go to a coffee shop and treat myself! I regularly use essential oils to uplift my mood whilst working and use a diffuser in my office for my favourite scents. Now that my husband and daughter are returning to their offices full time in September I can finally reorgansie my office and get back my 2nd screen and my sit-stand desk! I can’t wait. A change makes so much difference and you never know when that next lightbulb moment will occur!
- Do you always tell people – yes I’m busy? I try not to use that word as sometimes it just sounds like you are filling up your every waking hour. I talk about actual accomplishments? That is what you should focus on no matter how small and celebrate them regularly to make you feel confident. Recognising and celebrating success is a very powerful motivator for individuals and teams because it reinforces the meaning behind all that hard work and it shows appreciation for the achievements. This, in turn, boosts self-esteem and motivates us to take the next step towards achieving the next goal.
- Take a September reset, by taking it upon yourself to hit refresh on various aspects of your life (including fitness, skincare, and diet) you’ll feel a lot more prepared and motivated for the rest of 2021 and moving into Autumn and Winter. I purchased a Peloton earlier this year and September will finally see me hitting my regular regime of spin classes, stretch, yoga and weights after a calf muscle tear. I have a goal of being fitter by Christmas and if i lose weight along the way then that is a bonus!
Whether it’s setting goals, implementing a new routine, establishing new habits, or working on a more positive mindset, it’s important to reassess where you’re going and not let your lethargic, end-of-summer mentality make its way into the final four months of the year. It’s time to try and adopt a positive mindset: instead of mourning the end of summer.
If you need help to Smash September let’s have a chat
