How to Reset Your Goals this School Year

September does a great job of confusing me emotionally.

If there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I freakin love summer. LOVE. But my second love? Goal setting! Seems cheesy I know, but I’m also an Enneagram 3 (The Achiever) so it is what it is. 🙂

So, while September brings the end of summer (BOO), it’s also the perfect time to hit the refresh button on those goals and routines (YAY)! The kiddos are heading back to school, and with that comes a refreshing routine and a chance to seize the opportunity for your personal goals. Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful when it comes to using the back to school routine to it’s full benefit:

Get your buns to bed earlier.

It’s tough to get to bed early in the summer, isn’t it? The sun stays up way later and if you’re anything like me, you’re wanting to soak in EVERY LAST DROP OF IT. So you stay up, the kids stay up, baths are optional, and we soak in the sunset. (Preferably with a cocktail in hand. #justsayin)

Now, as we’re inching toward the inevitable start of fall, the sun is setting earlier. The kiddos also need to be in bed earlier so they can actually function the next day at school. Trust me when I say: Use this opportunity to get yourself to bed earlier, too!

I know it’s tough to give up extra minutes that we actually get to spend on ourselves. There’s social media to catch up and Jimmy Fallon to watch. But if the kiddos are going to bed a half hour earlier, try getting yourself to bed a half hour earlier, too. Take this opportunity to REST.

And, since you’re going to bed earlier, you might as well…

Get your buns up earlier, too!

Full disclaimer: I am a morning person. BUT, I’m also fully aware that not everyone who’s reading this is. So, I’m not going to go all crazy here and tell you to get up at 5 and get in that work out and do ALL THE THINGS before the butt crack of dawn. (Even though I still fully believe that’s the best way to start a day, I digress.)

What I’m trying to say is, even if you’re not a morning person, try setting your alarm just 10 minutes earlier then you typically do. 10 minutes. 10 minutes doesn’t seem so bad, does it?

The benefit of getting up just 10 minutes earlier is that you’re building a 10 minute margin into your morning. This will give you a few extra minutes to take a breath before the kiddos are up. Even if you do nothing special with those 10 minutes, you’ve given yourself a chance to recover if something goes wrong with your morning routine.

The other great thing about building in a few minutes of margin? It takes away the rush. I don’t know about you, but few things make me feel worse then when I wake up late and I have to rush around to get myself out the door. If my morning starts out that way, it sets the tone for the whole day and I just feel off.

Focus on Y-O-U.

I could probably write a whole book on the importance of taking time for self care. Don’t be afraid to take a few minutes on you! And there’s no better time to set some self-care goals then when the kiddos are going back to school.

Take a few minutes after the kids go to bed in the evenings to do a face mask. Or use your 10 minute margin from getting up earlier to try something new with your make up. Read a chapter from a book. Take a bath and drink an extra glass of wine. Or, go really big and get up an hour earlier to do a yoga session.

Do something that you enjoy, friend! Summer is ALL about the busyness. To me, fall symbolizes a time to slow down a bit. Don’t be afraid to take some of that time for YOU!

Review your goals and get back on track.

I don’t know if it’s all the school supplies (I’m sorry but there’s nothing better than than new book smell) or the excitement of beginning a new school year, but whatever it is, that new-school-year feeling has me wanting to tackle goals with a renewed motivation.

Just as the teachers are setting new expectations for the next 9 months, now is a great time to sit down and review your goals as well. Summer can be a bit of a whirl-wind and it’s easy to get off track. Don’t be afraid to review what goals you’ve set for yourself and find ways to refocus.

Bonus: The kids are getting new school supplies, so you owe it to yourself to buy a new fancy notebook. One that’s just for you and your goals. It’s also ok to hide said notebook where the kids can’t find it and color on EVERY. PAGE. (We’ve all been there, yes?)

Happy 2018-2019 school year, y’all!

Ok, I’m really from Nebraska and no one says ya’ll here. But I still like it so I’m gonna roll with it. 🙂

Good luck with this school year and don’t be afraid to use this opportunity to reset some things for yourself personally! Then you AND the kids can both slay this school year. 😉