5 Ways To Reset Your Business In September 2021
Are those back-to-school vibes calling and you're fired up to take the rest of 2021 by storm? Have you been struck with summertime sadness as you mourn the end of summer? (that’s me). Or are you’re struggling with mid-year burnout, the result of long-term, chronic stress from working long hours and feeling under excess pressure at work or home. If so, you’ll find a September reset a helpful practice.
I love a September reset. It always reminds me of how excited I was to get back to school with my brand-new pencil case following a WH Smith spending spree! As I moved into adulthood, the back-to-school feeling matured into a yearly “September reset,” marked by overhauling my wardrobe, changing my hair and reinventing myself in the hope that it would inch me closer to the put-together person I aspired to be. It wasn’t unusual for me to start a new job in September.
Nowadays, a September reset is the perfect opportunity to get myself ready for the last four months of the year, to make progress on the goals I set at the start of the year and refine my core routines. I find that hitting the pause button and making time for reflection about my highest priorities supports me in both achieving my goals and taking care of my wellbeing.
So, what do you do when you’re faced with one of the busiest seasons of the year, both business wise and personally, but summer has left you with a barely established routine, a complete inability to organise and a decimated bank account? How do you get back on track for the rest of the year, without throwing in the towel?
Here are 5 ways I’m hitting refresh so that I feel energised, prepared and motivated to make the most of the last four months of 2021 both professionally and personally.
1. Set Realistic Goals
Start by reviewing the goals you set at the start of the year. There may be one or two goals you haven’t started yet but can complete in Q3; and another two or three you could finish in Q4. Maybe new goals emerged as the year progressed. Now is the time to re-evaluate your priorities so that you can focus on the most important things you need to do between now and December and finish the year strong.
Once you’ve made a list of the goals you need to focus on, make a more detailed plan for each one, identifying five or six steps you’ll need to make each goal a reality. Make sure to give your goals a deadline – giving yourself too much flexibility means you’re more likely to procrastinate and put things off.
2. Make Time For Self-Care and Relational Goals
Some days it feels like we’re running to stand still and we can’t possibly get it all done without dipping into our evenings. That’s what a lot of us end up doing. But if we don’t make time for our self-care and relational priorities, they get the leftovers when it comes to both our time and our energy.
Self-care is the foundation of all meaningful, productive work, and it improves our ability to remember, learn and grow. Celebrity entrepreneurs may brag about their short nights under the covers, and maybe this braggadocio works for them. But the research shows that a good night’s sleep creates the necessary conditions for success in all domains of life. Sleep is not the reluctant end to the day; it’s the best way to start the next.
Just like self-care, it’s important to schedule our relational priorities. Whether that’s the simple act of eating together as a family, a regular date night with your partner or a fortnightly Zoom call with a group of girlfriends. Maintaining relationships can be a challenge for high achievers, but good friendships are essential to personal growth and well-being and what better time of year to nurture them?
3. Get Organised
Organisation is one of the best things you can do in September (and not just because it gives you an excuse to buy a shiny new mid-year diary). There are many ways you can go about it – giving your business a Marie Kondo-esque overall, keeping strict to-do lists – it’s all about finding a system which works for you.
Planning my “ideal week” has been a gamechanger for me when it comes to getting organised. I’ve literally mapped out my ideal week on an Excel spreadsheet, taking care to make sure there’s time allocated to my highest priorities. This means that my calendar is filled with activities which are my priorities (not everyone else’s). And it’s made me both more productive and more realistic about what I can actually get done in a week.
Look at for an article later in the week where I’ll take you behind the scenes of my ideal week.
4. Choose Your Weekly Big Three
I don’t remember who it was who said it, but most people take one step in 20 directions instead of 20 steps in one direction. Choosing my Weekly Big Three is the orienting practice of my weekly planning and what keeps my business moving in a steady direction. My Weekly Big Three are the weekly achievements which move the needle on my major goals and projects.
Your Weekly Big Three do not have to take a lot of time, especially if you have a hectic week. But they do need to give you the sense that you’re making positive progress in the direction of your big vision and goals.
5. Take Control Of Your Finances
If there’s one area of your business that’s looking particularly in need of some TLC right now, it’s probably your finances. For some businesses, the months of July and August can be a particularly unhealthy period for our poor business bank accounts. For other businesses, the months of December and January can be lean periods so now is the time to start squirrelling away some cash.
Addressing your finances won’t just lead to a healthier bank account; it’ll boost your mental health, too. Money worries can lead us to feel particularly low and anxious, so addressing your finances and putting good habits in place - especially when it comes to cashflow management - will help you to feel better in the long run.
Put together a budget, start a weekly cashflow forecast and keep track of your spending so you know exactly where your money is going. It’ll benefit you and your business in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Wherever you’re fired up to take the rest of 2021 by storm, have you been struck with end of summertime sadness like me or you’re struggling with mid-year burnout, I hope this article has given you inspiration for your September reset.
I’d love to know if you’re doing a September reset and if so, whether you have any tips for other readers? Do let us know in the comments below! And do look out for my article later in the month about my ideal week.
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