September Shift: Time to Revamp

Ahh … September, at last.

I know. Many of you are lamenting the end of summer. But I love the change of seasons, and September is possibly my favorite time of year – the approach of cooler days, the color burst of trees in autumn, one month till Halloween (my favorite holiday).

I look forward to the fresh start of September. I think it’s the perfect time to reevaluate and rejuvenate your own planning and scheduling, especially when you have kids going back to school. A new grade, new classes, maybe a new school – our kids deal with new beginnings each September. So why not find some of our own at the same time?

I’ve been a work-at-home mom/business owner since 1994, and I’ve always revamped my calendar and planning when my kids were starting the new school year. These days, my two oldest are out in the working world, but I still have one son in high school. There are already changes in his school and activities schedule, so we are all making adjustments this week. But September is also the perfect time to review my own activities and perhaps shift things around to better suit my goals and priorities.

Time to Refocus

This September, my personal focus will be on planning and productivity. I am working some new productivity methods into my week to improve my writing productivity and deep-focus concentration. These include some techniques from business writing coach Ed Gandia at B2B Launcher. I’m also making a thorough review of how I’m spending my time, and cutting back on some time drainers that no longer serve my purposes and goals.

From a business standpoint, September is also a good time to begin new marketing and prospecting efforts precisely because summer is ending. Business contacts who have been following a more relaxed summer schedule may be ready to do business. It’s a good way to make a push and generate some new income as you head into the fourth quarter. For my own copywriting business, I’m reviewing my current marketing strategies to see whether some of them have run their course, or if I should add some new items to the mix.

Does the idea of a September shift appeal to you? Here are some other tips and tools to get started:

• Avoid getting overwhelmed. Only focus on one or two areas at a time.
• If you want to start fresh with a new written planner, you can buy an undated planner, or an academic planner than runs September to September.
• Juggling multiple kids’ activities or sports? Try a family organizer app like Cozi Family Organizer that allows you to add color coded kids’ schedules and includes room for grocery lists, etc. It also syncs with your Google or Apple Calendar.
• If you’re looking to increase your business prospecting, considering using a free CRM (customer relationship management) software platform for small business, such as Hubspot.