Okay so it’s not January - but September is my favourite time of year to revisit goals, refocus, and get back on track with habits and routines that have become slack across the summer (no guilt here!)

From being in education for decades, September brings a real buzz of energy and fresh start for me - so let’s look at how you can make the most out of the second new year too!

A Quick Reset

If you’ve enjoyed the summer, had more flexibility, more time away from your work, September is the perfect time to pause and reset before you begin focusing on the final quarter of the year.

Now is the time to revisit goals, review your current routines, habits and processes to see what needs to change.

With normality returning, use this energy to give yourself permission to stop doing things on autopilot and getting very clear on your dreams and goals.

For some - those New Year goals ambitiously set in January with good intentions may have taken a little longer, faced some unexpected challenges, or perhaps they’re simply no longer relevant to the direction you want to take things 9 months later.

If this is you - choose the end of August / beginning of September to do a thorough review of your big goals. Look at them with compassion as well as objectivity. It’s not about blame if things didn’t quite pan out - use them as lessons and to inform your planning and focus over the next 4 months.

The September Review

Before rushing into making new plans, or continuing working on your older plans without taking the time to pause to ask yourself: What has worked well for me this year? What hasn’t? Am I still heading where I want to be with these goals?

Remember, this is an objective overview to help you make the most out of the rest of the year. You have a whole month before the final quarter, so use it to get this clarity and adapt your plans or pivot if you need to.

If you're not where you wanted to be, this might feel like a pretty daunting task. It’s easy to focus on what went wrong or what you didn’t achieve, but reflection helps you see the lessons, progress, and strengths you can carry forward.

Consider:

Which habits have helped your wellbeing or productivity?

• What unexpected challenges shaped your year?
• What goals felt aligned, and which ones drained you?
• If you found it difficult to stay motivated and focused, ask yourself - are the goals you set in January still relevant to where you want to move towards?
• What did you do well or feel confident with this year?
• What would you say your top 3 strengths have been this year, and how have they helped you?
  
  

When you pay attention and notice patterns, you can avoid repeating what has and what hasn’t worked, and choose to do more of what does.

Simplify Your Goals

Create space in your week to focus on your September goals - it will be worth it in the long run as you will not only have clever goals, you’ll feel more in touch and aligned with what you’re working towards and your reason why.

This always helps you on those days when you just don’t feel like doing it, or you doubt yourself - so it’s worth it just for that!

Setting an Intention

Before you revisit goals, think about setting an intention for the rest of the year. Think about how you want to show up, how you want to feel inside. It’s a great way to keep yourself grounded in how you want to act and show up.

Ask yourself: How do I want to experience the next few months? For example:

• Simplifying - Simplify your life, and working practices. Declutter your physical environment and digital world.
• Intentional Action - Commit to focusing on intentional action.
• Consistency - Create daily routines to support your goals and gentle progress.
• Confidence - Approach life and work with confidence. Trust yourself and your abilities.

Setting Goals

With your review fresh in your mind, and your intentions set, think about the goals you want to set. These are what you will focus on until the end of the year (and beyond!), so using this time to simplify them is key.

Step 1: Brain dump all of your goals. Look at your January goals, make a note of any progress, pivots, and any newer goals, and put them all onto a piece of paper (or online planner). This instantly creates space in your mind as you can clearly see where you’re at.

Step 2: Revisit your big January goals. Have they changed at all? Are they still what you want to work towards? Are they realistic or do they need to be adapted at all?

Step 3: Break down Goals. If you know you will not have the time or space to achieve these big goals by the end of the year, break them down. Look at what is achievable. Use these as your goals - this instantly removes overwhelm.

Remember as you do this - you haven’t failed if you’re not as far along as you predicted. Rarely do things fit perfectly all of the time. Life happens, energy ebbs and glows - and new things crop up. It’s okay!!

Step 3: Simplify. Now you’ve taken these steps, look at the updated goals. How else can you simplify them? Be honest - how realistic are they? How do you feel when you look at these? Have you rammed your calendar for the foreseeable when setting these goals, or have you created space to deal with life interruptions?

Step 4: Backwards Planning. Finally, work backwards from when you plan to finish work in December and identify the milestones you need to hit to achieve these goals. If it begins to look a little hectic, revisit the goals in steps 3 and 4 again and repeat.

Working this way will help you take into account what is really achievable. It’s easy to overestimate, and while it’s good to set challenging goals - if they’re unrealistic for your personal situation, they won’t motivate you - they’ll just make you stressed. 

Reset Your Routines

September is the time when many things begin to return to normal following the more relaxed summer. Routines are re-established, schools reopen, and the weather begins to change.

It’s why it’s a good time to not only refresh goals, but to also revisit your daily and weekly rhythms - especially if you’ve taken a step back across the summer.

To support you with your focus and momentum, focus on both what you want to achieve and how you want to feel (goals and intentions).

If you’ve been meaning to start a new habit - today is as good a time as any! September helps these things feel a little easier because things are already changing around you.

If you find it hard to stick to new habits, choose things that will improve or enhance your experience day to day - so they feel like gentle (complimentary) adjustments that don’t overwhelm.

Being with things like:

• Simple adjustments to your morning routine - 5 minutes of breathing exercises, journal while having your morning coffee.
• An evening routine to support better sleep - Unwind with a bath or a book.
• Create space for a daily and weekly review / plan. This doesn’t have to be full planning sessions, just a bit of time to review goals / progress and identify next steps. It’s a great way to declutter your mind as well!

Final Thoughts

September is our reminder that new beginnings don’t have to wait until January. You have the chance to pause, reflect, and realign right now. By setting intentions, simplifying your goals, resetting routines, and protecting your energy, you can finish the year not only stronger but also calmer and more in tune with yourself.

This isn’t about doing more as soon as the summer’s over - it’s about doing what matters most, in a way that feels sustainable.

September is your chance to breathe, reset, and step gently into the final part of the year with confidence and clarity.