Don’t take this into September

Labor Day is almost here.

For most of us, that means summer is winding down. Vacations are ending. Kids are going back to school. Calendars are filling up. Business gets serious again.

And there’s something about September that feels like a second January.

We start talking about finishing the year strong.

We make new plans.

We get refocused.

But before you start thinking about what you need to add for the final stretch of the year, I want you to consider something different:

What do you need to stop carrying?

Because sometimes progress doesn’t require another strategy.

Sometimes progress requires putting something down.

Maybe it’s an excuse you’ve been repeating.

Maybe it’s a project that no longer deserves your attention.

Maybe it’s a habit that keeps stealing your mornings.

Maybe it’s a conversation you know you need to have.

Maybe it’s a commitment you made months ago that you keep postponing.

Or maybe you’re carrying something that worked in the first half of the year—but won’t take you where you’re trying to go next.

Here’s the coaching question:

What are you carrying into September that cannot go with you into your next season?

Sit with that one for a minute.

Because we have a tendency to measure progress by what we accumulate.

More clients.

More money.

More opportunities.

More responsibilities.

More goals.

But mature leaders also understand the power of subtraction.

There are seasons when making progress means saying:

This ends here.

THE 15-MINUTE END-OF-SUMMER RESET

Before September begins, grab a sheet of paper.

Draw three columns.

1. KEEP

What worked this summer?

What habit, relationship, discipline, strategy, or decision produced progress?

Don’t reinvent what is already working.

Protect it.

2. STOP

What has been consuming energy without producing progress?

Be specific.

Not: “I need better time management.”

Instead:

“I’m going to stop beginning my day in my inbox.”

“I’m going to stop avoiding the conversation with my employee.”

“I’m going to stop saying yes to opportunities that don’t support our target.”

“I’m going to stop blaming circumstances I cannot control.”

Progress gets easier when the obstacle gets specific.

3. START

Now ask:

If December 31 arrived and I was proud of how I finished this year, what would I have started doing in September?

Don’t create ten things.

Pick one.

One discipline.

One conversation.

One business priority.

One health decision.

One relationship investment.

One leadership behavior.

Then put it on your calendar.

Because an intention without action is still just an intention.

Your September Progress Play

Before this weekend is over, complete these three sentences:

I’m KEEPING: __________

I’m STOPPING: __________

I’m STARTING: __________

That’s your play.

Not a giant strategic plan.

Not another list of 27 goals.

Three decisions.

And here’s the most important part:

Don’t wait until September to begin September.

Make the decision now.

There is a timeless principle we live by: there is a season for everything.

The wisdom isn’t merely recognizing that seasons change.

It’s recognizing when you need to change with them.

Summer served its purpose.

Now let’s make sure the next season does too.

Make Progress.

Walter & Antoinette Bond
Peak Performers Huddle

P.S. One more challenge…

Forward this Progress Report to one person you’re committed to making progress with this fall.

Then text them:

“What are you keeping, stopping and starting in September?”

Hold each other accountable.

That’s how progress becomes contagious.