The idea of a September reset is nothing new. We all in some way tap into that back-to-school mindset with a revamp and a tidy up.
When I was younger, back-to-school was about shiny new gym shoes and a new lunch kit. As I moved into adulthood, the back-to-school feeling became about overhauling my life and resetting my health goals.
Over the last few years, I have noticed that September reset has lost a bit of its charm and now we are being bombarded with extreme detox practices and the expectation to splurge on “wellness” products that promise to fix us after a summer of excessiveness.
But instead of thinking about how bad you were over the summer. Or how off track you got; I invite you to let summer be what it is and, in your heart, feel all the good that your summer brought you.
At the same time, it’s ok to release and head in September with new intentions to become the healthier and happier version of yourself. That's exactly what this article will help you do.
I will share 5 steps to do a September reset and get back on track with your health goals.
Brain dump
As exciting as fall can feel, with that twinge of a fresh start in the air- it can also feel a little overwhelming with all the things you have to start doing again, plus all the things that you set goals to do.
But instead of allowing all of those thoughts and ideas to pile up in your head, it is best to get them onto paper so you can free up some space to make a plan.
I often joke and say my brain is like my computer, I often have too many tabs open, and the operation becomes slow. But all joking aside – this is an overwhelming feeling, and it often results in freezing and not being able to focus on anything.
My favorite (and proven) formula to tackle overwhelm is what I have nicknamed my 4 Ds to get shit done.
I learned this formula years ago from a coach and it has been something I have used ever since, in both my personal and professional lives.
Step 1. Take out a sheet of paper and begin by doing a brain dump of everything that is floating around in your head. Big or small, make sure you write them down and close the tabs.
Step 2. Then take out another piece of paper and divide it into 4 quadrants. Label each of these quadrants with one of these; Do, Dump, Delegate, and Date.
Step 3. Go back to your brain dump and start putting items in their respective quadrant.
Do- These are items that you can do in 5 minutes or less. You’re going to do these things first.
Dump – These are things that take up space but don’t actually have to be done. They might be things that you want to do but when you look at them closely, they are not things that will move the needle forward on your goals. These could be things like sorting out your mismatched sock drawer or organizing the garage.
Delegate – This is a big one for busy midlife women. We are not programmed to ask for help. But these items are things that need to be done but could be done by someone else. If you want to rid yourself of the overwhelm, asking for help is one of the ways that you can free up time to do those things on your goal list!
Date- They are the items that need to be done, but they don’t need to be done right now, or you can’t possibly do them all in one day. These are the things you schedule time for and add them into your calendar. They may be things like grocery shopping, meal planning/prepping, cleaning out the fridge, or even doing your workouts.
Set new goals
Maybe you set some New year's resolutions or some type of goal in January but haven’t been able to stick to them or follow through.
Heck, maybe you never even started!
Even if you don’t have kids at home anymore and life doesn’t change much – there is just a natural feeling in the summer where we tend to relax a little more and life just feels a little less high paced.
Meals become lighter, maybe you travel more, or spend time camping, or visiting friends.
Overall, our routines just seem to slip a little more during those summer months.
As we head into September, we start to think a little more about getting back into routines- often even thinking about some September health goals, which makes it the perfect time to reflect on what you wanted to accomplish this year and set some new goals.
Often when I work with women one of the mistakes we make in goal setting is that we set the goal based on an outcome we want and never consider the actions required to reach that goal.
This is often the reason why you may feel like you have failed in the past. When you don’t consider the actions required to lose weight, write a book, or even start a business, it can feel very overwhelming with no clear place to start.
So, when you set a goal for your fall reset try this instead.
Let’s say you set a goal to lose 10 lbs. before Christmas – think about what you need to do to lose 10 lbs.
Eat healthy
Workout
Now look at those things and get even more specific, what are the actions required for you to eat healthier?
- eat more protein
- eat more vegetables
Now you have an action that is actually sustainable in your life and something that aligns with your outcome of losing weight.
If eating healthier, and making sure you are eating enough is your goal and you need a little more guidance, you can download my free balanced eating guide for busy women here.
Focus on one thing
Fight the urge to reboot your life, completely overhauling your entire life is not sustainable. Set yourself up for success by setting small actionable goals one at a time so that you’re able to achieve them and they don’t become another item stuck on your to do list.
The constant chase of achievement is exhausting, and it leaves you with a feeling of not “being enough” if you're unable to meet your goal by a certain time.
The truth to balance is that it is something that happens over time and happens at your individual pace and circumstances.
One of the most important steps to your September reset is to focus on one thing that will move the needle forward.
Here is an easy way to help you decide what that one thing can be.
Start by listing out all the goals and the things you hoped to accomplish in January.
Assess how much you have accomplished towards that goal by giving it a rating between 0% -100%
Let go of anything below 50%
Then prioritize anything left from 1-5, one being most important and 5 being least.
Redefine Your Why
When it comes to setting goals, we often set them based on what we believe we should be doing.
You might have set a goal back in January that you haven’t followed through on and there's a good chance it is because you haven’t really defined “why” that goal is important to you.
When you know why you want something it is easier to find the motivation to stay on track.
It helps you do the thing even when you don’t feel like doing it and keeps you from choosing a goal based on what other people expect from you.
Here is a quick exercise you can do to redefine your why.
Jot down the goal you think you want to work towards.
Maybe it is getting in shape or losing weight. Maybe it is writing a book, or even starting a business. No matter what the goal is you want the underlying reason why you want to achieve it. How will it change your life?
Once you have the goal ask yourself why it is important and with every answer ask yourself why again.
You want to go 7 layers deep or until the answer strikes an emotion.
You should feel your why – finding your real intrinsic reason why is your secret weapon to sticking to something and getting results.
Get Support
As women, we often set incredibly high expectations on ourselves and expect that we should be able to do everything on our own. The BEST thing you can do to help you achieve your health and happiness goals is to get support from someone who can truly help you. As a wellness coach, I help women … . If this is something you choose to prioritize this season, I encourage you to book a discovery call to learn how I can help you.
By working 1:1 together, you can have someone in your corner to help hold you accountable, provide guidance in support in how you can lose weight & get more energy in a way that works with your busy schedule, and coach you through all the things your brain has to say about why it will never work. Trust me, I’ve been in your shoes, and now that I am the healthiest I have EVER been (read more about me here), I’m determined to help you achieve whatever your version of health and happiness looks like. Book a no-pressure, 30 minute discovery call here, to talk about how I work with women and whether or not it’s the right fit for you.
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