There’s something about the first chilly morning of September which gets us thinking about new starts. With just four months of the year to go, your new year resolutions may be forgotten. We’re here to give you a last little (gentle) kick of motivation to have you finish this year on that high note you’d hoped for back in January. Here are our reasons why September is the rich man’s January – let’s get you excited for this new season!
Planning is Less Daunting
It’s far less daunting planning for 3 months than it is for 12. So much can change in a year that trying to plot out exactly what the next 365 days will bring seems faintly ridiculous when you think about it. Yet a final quarter push seems doable – the end of the year is in sight and you probably already know how the final weeks are going to go in terms of big events already being scheduled. This makes it far easier to consider how the time you do have can be used. If you’re looking for a planner to help you map out this time, we recommend Best Self Co who have created a 13-week journal specifically to keep you on track.
Less pressure
Has anyone ever asked you what your September resolutions are? Nope, didn’t think so. This month is the perfect time to create a career or personal resolution without having to share it with anyone. Whilst accountability to someone else has often been shown to improve the likelihood of a new goal sticking, not everyone works this way: many like to quietly get on with things themselves (and often answering to yourself is harder than to another).
It’s also easier to focus on your goal when you’re not also trying to get fit/spend less money/eat healthy/drink less. And far less depressing!
More energy after summer
Dark January mornings and early sunsets naturally make us less inclined to have boundless energy at the traditional time of year to turn over a new leaf. Yet September, with its still light start and end to the day, makes getting up that bit earlier far easier than in the darkest depths of winter. Whether you use that time to clear your mind on a walk or by writing your to-do list for the day, a little quiet time to reflect on the day ahead is highly likely to set you up for a more productive day.
Additionally, you’ve hopefully had the chance to relax over the summer (and maybe re-evaluated your goals) which will naturally give you more energy on your return to work than the post-Christmas stress of family and finance January throws at us. Oh, and we’re sure that the hangovers around this time of year are less intense than new year too (though we won’t hold you to that)!
All these little things add up to giving you that bit more energy to get that positive mindset going.
Don’t Let your Stationery be Stationary
AKA have a think about your work tools & processes. Are you tied up in email backlogs after holiday? A desktop full of documents & folders but no organisation? Is your laptop charger held together with sticky tape (or is that just us?) How’s your desk/office looking? Piles of paper spilling out of your bin? Need some new non-leaky pens? None of these will help your brain feel clear and on the ball for your fresh start.
For our Top 10 productivity tools, including one that 100% of our clients have loved when tried, click here.
Let’s Get Professional
January resolutions are often related to something personal you want to change or improve about yourself (we’re sure you’ve been to the gym 3 times a week consistently over the past 8 months so no need to feel bad). Why not give this last part of the year a professional focus? If you’ve been considering making a career change, recruiters are back from holidays, silly season is over & everyone’s renewed energy makes this a great time to make a change in your business life. Not just a change in career, but perhaps changing the direction of your business. Have you been keeping an eye on how the latest technology or social media are being used by your customers & clients? Is now the time to experiment with it perhaps?
Getting Ready for January
If you’re *uber* keen, you can even think about your September resolutions as your pre-January goals. It’ll help ensure you’re not making non-sensical 2019 resolutions through a hungover haze. But like we say, that’s if you’re someone who likes to plan for a plan…
Are you a September or January resolution maker? What’s the one thing you’re focusing on to further yourself and business this month? Comment below & let us know!
No More Ifs Or Buts.
