I woke up this morning and it was a little chilly.
Not cold. But just enough to notice.
Fall is officially here, and you can feel that the seasons are starting to change.
And maybe we should too.
Summer always seems to be a blur. Vacations. Events. Travel. Kids. Meetings. Projects. Trying to squeeze just a little bit more into every day because somehow summer feels like it should be packed full.
Then fall arrives.
The mornings get cooler. The days start getting shorter. And things seem to slow down just a little bit.
Which makes today, #InnergizeDay, pretty well timed.
The idea behind Innergize Day is simple: take some time to turn your attention inward. Step away from the noise for a minute. Do something that helps you recharge, refocus and reconnect with what matters to you.
That is a good reminder for all of us.
But I think it is an especially good reminder for entrepreneurs.
Because when you are building a business, there is always something else you could be doing.
Actually, there are usually 47 things you could be doing.
There are sticky notes everywhere. An endless to-do list. Emails waiting for answers. People you need to call. A website that needs updated. A proposal you need to finish. A customer you need to follow up with. And at least one thing that has been sitting on your list so long you have started pretending you don’t see it anymore.
Sound familiar?
The problem is that when everything feels important, it is really easy to lose sight of what actually matters right now.
So maybe instead of adding something else to your list today, take something off.
Take a few minutes and ask yourself:
What does my business actually need from me right now?
Not everything it might need someday.
Not everything someone told you that you should be doing.
Not the 27 ideas you wrote on sticky notes over the summer.
What does it need now?
Maybe you need to reconnect with customers.
Maybe you need to finally finish the thing that is 90% done instead of starting another new thing.
Maybe you need to look at your numbers.
Maybe you need to ask for help.
Or maybe you simply need a little space to think.
That counts too.
Your 3 Steps
1. Look back.
Before you focus on what you haven’t done, take a minute to look at what you have accomplished over the last few months. Chances are, you have moved farther than you think.
2. Clear the clutter.
Look at that giant to-do list and ask: What really matters right now? Pick one or two priorities. The rest can wait.
3. Choose your fall focus.
If you could move one meaningful thing forward between now and the end of the year, what would it be?
That’s it.
You don’t need another complicated productivity system.
You probably don’t need another sticky note.
You might just need to refocus.
The seasons are changing. Maybe this is your reminder that it is okay to change gears too.
So shake off the blur of summer.
Take a look around.
Take a look inward.
And ask yourself:
What do I need now?
Then take the next step.