Sunsets on Lake Huron are pretty hard to beat, but I have to admit a tinge of sadness as I watched one set for one of the final times this summer. In the words of fellow Englishman, William Shakespeare, “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”
Perhaps you felt the same way, especially this summer after what has gone on the last 18 months, like me, you may have wanted it to go on a few weeks longer. Traditionally (although not officially), Labour Day has always seemed to signal an end to summer, kids returning to school, cooler evenings and of course no longer wearing white (my white capri pants are in the closet until 2022!).
Going into the Fall perhaps you are looking to start to ramp up your business, launch a new product or take on some extra marketing activity. I know with all the hot weather we experienced I was feeling less inclined to be productive during those ‘dog days of summer’ and found it a bit harder to get myself going. Maybe you are feeling the same?
But the end of summer can signal new beginnings.
Here are 3 things you can do to kick start your Fall and say goodbye to the dog days of summer;
- Treat this month as the start of a new year, be it a 4 month one. September can be an opportunity for you to review the goals you set at the start of the year and see how your 2021 is tracking. What’s worked? Where did things fall short? Whether it is ahead or behind you still have a third of the year left and can achieve much more.
- Commit to One Big Achievement by the end of the year. This might be a goal you have already set yourself, or it could be something new. Make the promise to yourself that each day you are going to take one action that will move that goal forward. It does not have to be a big step, small consistent actions have a great compounding effect.
- Decide on a skill you want to learn or enhance over the next 4 months and apply the 5/3/1 approach. This comes from one of my mentors, Darren Hardy, who looks to do this each quarter, but you can do it now and get a bonus month. Find 5 books to read up on the skill, 3 online resources to study (could be audio, podcasts, even CD’s!) and 1 conference, seminar or event to attend (maybe virtually). I am following this approach right now on the subject of email marketing and general writing, hence in part why you are getting this email. I will provide an update later in the Fall. Actually, this is part of his fuller 1-1-5-3-1-30-30-5 Plan which you watch him explain on this YouTube video (embed this video https://youtu.be/M6vvLOIbnTQ )
So I get it, it’s a shame to see summer slowly fade, but as Lao Tzu said – “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings”
What are you going to be focusing on for the next 4 months? I would love to hear in the comments below.