September Reset: Choosing Your Focus for the Next Few Months

In Part One of the September Reset, we focused on clearing some of the mental

clutter.

Because before we decide what we want to achieve, it can be really helpful to create a little headspace first.

Once you’ve worked out what genuinely needs your attention, what can wait, what you can delegate and what you can even put to one side, there is an opportunity to step back and ask a different question of yourself:

Where do I want my focus for the next few months to be?

It’s tempting to see the return to routine as a chance to fill the diary, set lots of goals

and get back on top of everything.

But you don’t need another enormous list.

Instead, grab a piece of paper, give yourself 15 minutes and ask yourself the following questions. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer.

1. What do I want more of?

This could be anything.

• More time outside.

• More energy.

• More time with friends.

• More focus at work.

• More confidence.

• More time for myself.

• More fun.

Don’t overthink it. Write down whatever comes to mind.

What do I want less of?

It may be…

• Less stressed.

• Less rushing.

• Less saying yes when you really want to say no.

• Less feeling always behind where I want to be.

• Less taking responsibility for things that aren’t yours to worry about.

• Less time spent doing things that don’t really matter to you.

Sometimes knowing what you want to move away from makes it much easier to work

out what you want instead.

What is one thing I want to make progress on?

Now choose one or two things.

Not ten.

It might be something personal, something at work, something for your family or

something that is simply for you.

The aim isn’t to create another list of things you should be doing.

It’s to identify something that would genuinely feel good to make progress on.

And finally… how do I want to feel by Christmas?

This is probably my favourite question.

Because your focus doesn’t always have to be about an achievement.

Maybe you want to feel:

• More settled.

• More confident.

• More energised.

• Less overwhelmed.

• More connected.

• Excited about what you’re working towards.

Once you know how you want to feel, you can start making choices that support that feeling.

It might mean carving out some time in your diary. Making space for something thatnmatters to you. Saying no to something. Asking for help. Having a conversation you’ve been putting off.

Remember, even the small choices and changes can help bring a big impact.

This is definitely a reset and not a reinvention.

For me, September is not about becoming a new version of myself.

I actually try and give myself a break after months of intense juggling.

You don’t need a completely new routine, a list of ambitious goals or a five-year plan.

Maybe it’s simply a chance to pause.

To wade through some of the noise.

To decide what matters to you right now.

And to choose where you want to put your energy for the next few months.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You just need to know what matters now.