There is something about autumn that puts a hustle in our step and anticipation in the air. It’s there every year. Sometimes I pause and wonder what we are hustling for and anticipating. Is it the cold weather, the promise of pumpkin lattes, the holidays around the corner? I am not sure, but it’s always there and I like it.

This time of the year can also be discouraging if the year hasn’t gone has expected. Maybe goals for the year are not playing out and hopes have been dashed. We feel disappointed that the year is ending in a few short months and reality is not meeting our expectations.

This time of the year I always feel the need to push pause for a day. To take a step away and reevaluate. Take time to look back over the past nine months and access what was done, where the wins were, and what can be done better moving forward. I look at the remaining three months as an opportunity to finish the year well and lay the foundation for a strong start to the new year.

But here’s the thing, we need to set aside time and plan for a day that is enjoyable (fun is underrated), is inspiring (inspiration breaths life into the same old) and is productive (strategic planning at it’s best).

I have a day like this coming up in October. Just knowing it is coming makes me smile. Here are my go-to activities for days like this:

• Go somewhere that feels good to my soul, intentionally choosing a location that calms and inspires.
• Start the day early. My brain works best when the day is fresh and crisp. Good coffee from a coffee shop and journal in hand. I write, set aside fear, and vision cast.
• Read a book that challenges me to think beyond what I know. A book that gives me the courage to believe and act on what my heart is telling me.
• Get outside in nature and go for a walk or a run. The combination of fresh air and exercise makes me feel alive and positive. It works every time.
• Review the goals wrote at the beginning of the year. Remind myself of my core values. I see where I am on track, what has changed, and what I want to focus on for the remaining months of the year.
• Meet a friend to process, maybe at the end of the day. A level of clarity comes when I process what I am feeling out-loud to a trusted friend. It’s true, iron sharpens iron.
• Build in plenty of quiet time. I once read that the more we are managing in life the more quiet time we need. I believe it 100%. Quiet time allows us to see clearly again.

 

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Business and life is a whole lot of ‘normal’. Days set aside to push pause on all the ‘busy’ brings the vision into focus again. Vision is the lifeblood to business and who we are as an individual. Vision keeps us going strong and focused on things that matter – priorities and people.

So this autumn season, I challenge you – push pause and schedule a day away. Shape it to look how you want it to look. Include some fun, inspiration, and productivity too. Put it on the calendar and don’t let yourself down. It will be a day well spent and one of the best investments into the future!