Strategies for a Successful September

Strategies for a Successful September

Ahh - the sweet spot after summer but before the holidays - where you are expected to get SO MUCH done!  September has always been the unofficial "new year" for many, with school starting and summer vacations winding down.  As we head into the last four months of 2022, here are a few ways to make this month smooth and successful instead of crazy and chaotic.

Create Flow

Most of my clients are feeling the push and pull of this time of year.  Whether it is schedule changes, work demands, relationship challenges, or the piling on of responsibilities now that summer is over - this month can be A LOT.

Strategies to be successful this month (and every month) include getting clear on what is most important, identifying areas of stress/conflict, and deciding what you can let go of.

Getting clear on what is most important sounds obvious and easy, yet most people don't do it.  One easy way is to write down the most critical items this month for yourself, your family, your relationships, and your career.  

Once you know what is most important, identify all of the typical obstacles/stressors that get in the way.  Are there competing priorities that don't allow you to get to the important things?  Are there unreasonably high expectations that you/someone else is holding you to?  Is there a legitimate scheduling conflict?  Is not being organized part of the issue?

Once you get clear on what is most important and the typical things that get in the way, it becomes a lot easier to work around them.  You can start to make plans that alleviate these issues, whether that is delegating, re-arranging, or letting go of something.

My September includes new schedules for my sons (swim team, baseball, clubs, etc.) and several new clients, all with their own deliverables.  I feel most stressed when I know I need to finish something, but I have to stop to go pick up the boys.  

My list of important items for September include healthy eating, the business deliverables mentioned above, 2023 planning, and being present for my boys as they navigate this new school year, new friends, new homework, etc.

Once they are home, the interruptions don't stop.  My workflow is disrupted, I get annoyed, and I start to feel stressed.  And when I am stressed, the first things I abandon are being present and healthy eating.  

In order to get ahead of this, I am implementing a few strategies:

First - I've stopped fooling myself into thinking I will be productive with work obligations between the hours of 4-7pm.  I have rearranged my calendar to allow that time to be dinner prep (which may also be ordering food!) and being present for my family.  

Figure out the hours you need to carve out and block them on your calendar.  You can't be in two places at once, so stop pretending you will magically make it happen.

Giving myself this permission alleviates the pull I feel to finish this "one last thing" while they are asking me questions and we all get increasingly hangry (hungry + angry).  It isn't easy for me to walk away, especially when I am in the flow, but I have found it to be the most realistic strategy.

Realistic is important.  We all have theoretical perfect scenarios or highly desired scenarios, but if our reality rarely looks like that, then we are just setting ourselves up for failure, disappointment, and stress.

Second - Sunday self-care is essential.  I'm not talking bubble baths, I'm talking about some dedicated time to disconnect, have fun, and PLAN for the week.  Whether it is meal planning, deciding ahead of time which nights we will order in or go out, which days I need to block my calendar for deeper work, etc., I look at my week ahead and plan.  

Yes planning is self-care.  Why?  Because it is time for YOU.  Your plan, your moment of choice, your ability to be proactive in your own life.  Caring for yourself means prioritizing your needs.  Calendaring your needs is today's way of life - so do it!

Third - delegate, delegate, delegate.  I outsourced portions of a proposal to a designer.  I am setting up carpooling schedules for most of my children's activities to reduce the amount of interruptions each week.  I'm accepting help from other professionals for various deliverables.

Instead of defaulting to "I can do it," I'm asking myself "Who else can do this?"  As a very independent person who likes to be in control, this isn't easy.  It takes intention, but since I have been diligent about it, I have dramatically decreased my stress!

What do all of these delegations have in common?  Relationships.  I need to know who I can outsource to.  Creating relationships has a wonderful upside - meaningful relationships add so much to our lives.  But they do take time to establish and nurture.

So find ways to develop relationships that fit into your way of life.  I'm not saying to abandon your friends because they are on different schedules.  But there is something to be said for the relationships that fit more easily into your busy schedule.  It may be people in your office, your team, your workout place, your children's events, the place you eat lunch every day, etc.

Find your people and leverage them.  Ask for what you need.  And help them when you can.  If we all leveraged each other, we would all be doing less, achieving more, and be way happier.  But instead, we all want it done OUR way, because it is OUR stuff, and OUR pride - and ultimately it just ends up being OUR stress.  

I'm so over it.

So now you.

What is most important this month?

What is likely to get in the way?

What can you do to remove those obstacles?  What can you delegate?  What can you remove?

What do you have to say no to?

This last question is often the hardest.  You may not think you can say no, you may not want to say no, and it may not feel good to say no.  But an honest review of what is important will help some things fall to the bottom of the list.  Instead of keeping them there stressing you out - remove them.

Don't let September pull you into its chaos.  September is not the boss of you!  Take back your power and your intention.  Get clear on what is important, what obstacles you can remove, and who you can rely on for support.

"We don't have to do it all alone.  We were never meant to." ~Brene Brown

Cheers to your successful September,
Sharon
 

Still feeling spread too thin?

We often feel pulled by life's demands, especially those that are at odds with each other. Caring for self vs. caring for others, planning vs. doing, work vs. play - there are all of these opposites in life that we can never fully solve for. We must have some of each but trying to do everything leaves us feeling drained.

There is a proven methodology to help you flow more seamlessly between these opposing demands in life. It is called polarity mapping and I am teaching it in my upcoming workshop Finding Your Flow. You will leave with your personal completed map that will help you more easily flow between your demands, instead of feeling pulled apart by them.

Finding Your Flow Workshop Details:
Date: Oct 7th, 12-1:30pm ET (virtual)
Cost: $95
Includes the workshop, an optional group coaching session on Oct 21 at 12pm ET, the polarity mapping workbook, and a recording of the session for future reference.
REGISTER HERE

This is a simple, cost-effective way to get a real handle on your stressors and make practical changes to create less stress and more flow. With more flow comes more joy, freedom, and focus. Questions? Email me or set up time to chat HERE.

Life is too short to stay stressed and stuck. I've helped so many people reclaim their life. I can help you too.