How to Reach Your Goals This Fall Season
By Katey Schneider
4 Steps to Finding Your Fall Rhythm
Fall is the very best season of the year – well, at least it’s my personal favorite! The autumn season brings a cold, crispness to the air that we fill with hot lattes, cozy candles, and warm bowls of soup. The leaves are falling and our mindsets are shifting.
Fall also feels like a good time for a reset. We often develop new goals and routines at the beginning of a calendar year, but autumn pleasantly disrupts our day-to-day flow and sometimes makes us want to start something new.
The beginning of September means the start of the school year and we are all collectively heading into the end of year, preparing for a new one. We just survived the hustle and bustle of summer, and we’re heading toward the stack of holidays that finish off the calendar.
Whether the kids are back in school or you’re settling into a new workflow, fall seems like a good time for an adjustment to your routine. Here are four steps for setting goals (and sticking to them!) during the fall season.
Begin at the End
We’ve all heard that it’s best to “begin with the end in mind” from Stephen Covey. This applies to setting and achieving goals this fall season, too.
Start by determining what you what this season of life to look like. Do you want it to be productive? Relaxed? Do you want to tackle some projects you’ve been pushing off? Or spend more intentional time with others?
Shift your perspective and visualize yourself at the end of fall. What are you feeling? What does your life look like in 3 months?
This will help you define what goals you have for this life season. They don’t have to be huge! These goals just have to be helpful and important to you.
Prioritize the Essentials
Now, it’s time for a brain dump. Take a few moments and write, type, or think through everything you would like to do this season. Don’t overthink it, just get it all out there.
Here are a few examples! But, don’t let these limit your personal list.
If you want to feel accomplished, try these:
Start and finish a new book
Clean & organize the garage or pantry
Get rid of all the clutter in 1-2 rooms of your house
Begin a new workout/exercise routine
If you want to invest in your relationships, try these:
Commit 1-2 hours ever other week to spending time with a friend
Spend at least 4 nights at home with your family
Plan 3-4 intentional date nights with your spouse
If you want to try something new and creative, these might help:
Try a new recipe every Sunday afternoon
Pick 5 fall activities your city is hosting and go to them
Attempt a new hobby you’ve been wanting to start for a while
Take a look at your list. It’s probably longer than you anticipated! Go through the list and prioritize what is most important to you.
What are the things you’re most excited for? Least excited for? Work your way through the list to determine your highest and lowest priorities.
Learn from the Past
Our past experiences shed light on our future endeavors. If you’re like me, you probably have created a huge list of goals you wanted to achieve, got overwhelmed, and didn’t finish all of them.
Or, you didn’t have any sort of plan or goals, and then you look back and wonder what you spent your time on. Either way, I’ve been there.
What is a realistic list of goals to accomplish during this season of life. Maybe you pick ONE goal. Just one thing you want to do this fall. And that is okay. If you have some more time or more energy this year, take on a few extra tasks.
Make sure you leave room for all of the regular things in your schedule. Family events, necessary gatherings, and other unexpected obligations pop up. Be sure to give yourself some breathing room when you’re setting your goals.
Make it Happen
Lastly, it’s time to make things happen! If you use a paper or digital calendar to keep your life organized, pull that out. We are getting to work. If not, just write or type these out in a list.
It’s best to set aside specific time blocks so that you achieve your goals. If you want to clean out your garage that you’ve been working on for three years, get a few hours scheduled on your calendar. If you want to read a book, purchase it and set it near your bedside table.
This is the time to put your goals into action. If they are just in your head or on a sticky note, they won’t get done.
Spread out some chunks of time over the next three months. Block it out on your calendar so they don’t get forgotten! Make the commitment to yourself as if you are promising someone else you will get it done.
Keep me updated!
If you try any of these tips, I want to know! Send me a text and let me know which one worked best to help you make a big decision in your life.