Is it just me, or is September the actual New Year?
With the weather changing, the kids going back to school (I assume) and the Labour Day long weekend behind us, it feels like Q4 [Quarter 4]… except, bonus round, it’s technically still Q3 [Quarter 3].
Translation: we’ve still got time to shake things up before the year-end scramble.
If you look back on your year so far, what hasn’t really been working? Where have you been burning effort without seeing results? September is the perfect time to run a quick shelf audit. In supply chain, we obsess over inventory - do you have the right stock before the rush hits? Same deal with life and work this month.
Think of your September inventory as:
Time → Do you have hours left in the day for you?
Budget → Are you spending on things that fuel you, or is your money tied up in “meh” subscriptions you forgot about?
People → Who’s actually helping you carry the load?
Energy → Are you operating at full capacity?
September’s your hall pass: clear out the outdated habits and rituals and stock up things that will make you happier in the long run.
Since we’re still in Q3 bonus time, why not go rogue? Try some completely out of the box solutions to existing problems:
Time → Cancel one recurring meeting or plan. Or a few. Stop sending that one report you’re pretty sure nobody reads anyways. Unsubscribe from every mailing list you’re on (except this one.)
Budget → Cancel as many recurring subscriptions as you can, with the promise you can always re-subscribe in October.
People → Get an accountability buddy for the January Resolution you haven’t been able to stick to yet. Have a Monday check in (“I’m going to do X this week” and a Friday Follow Up (“I did it!”)
Energy → Change the setting. Work at a coffee shop, library, or even outside. Try flipping your day - if you usually do hard tasks in the afternoon, try doing them in the morning.
Here’s the best part: everyone else is overwhelmed this month, so no one’s going to notice your experiments.
By October, you can pretend this was your system all along.
