The sun is setting on summer and while we are trying to squeeze out the last little bits of this season, we are speeding towards the beginning of the next one.

For many of us, summer has felt like we have literally taken a drink out of the proverbial firehose. Events have come back with a vengeance, and the industry has responded with immense courage and diligence. Yet although we’ve been flying by the seat of our pants, hopefully, we’ve squeezed in some sand, some sunshine, or possibly a nice summer stroll along the way.

Looking towards fall, you may be a twee bit nervous about what the next season will bring. And you may be wondering how to move the needle forward in your career despite how crazy your world may seem right now. When I start thinking of this, I always fall back on these tips that I would love for you to consider as you prepare for your next.

If you commit, schedule it

Have you ever been double-booked? Or missed an appointment? We all have those moments when we don’t take into consideration what else is on our plate. Committing to putting an appointment in my calendar is one step to peace in my world. If you haven’t done this, try it, it will change your world.

To go a step further, organize your calendar by color-coding. This can be extremely helpful when looking at your calendar in categories. For example, maybe you want to see your personal appointments in green, and your work appointments in yellow. Or perhaps you want to organize your calendar by type of meeting (ie. Team meetings, 1:1’s, client-meetings). The great thing is that once you set this up, it can be very helpful in the months ahead.

Keep it simple baby

Do you have just one thing that you’re doing right now that’s a pain in your butt? Why not invest the time to find out how it can be better? You never know, perhaps some efficiency gains can be made. So have the conversation, dig a little deeper to push it forward. Changes that are easy and quick to accomplish are the ones to start with. Do this and you can make your work-life a little easier this time around.

Keep “you” in mind

I know you might have taken a summer break, or maybe you were working to hard to squeeze one in. But looking forward, do you have a vacation coming up? If not, always be looking for a time within the next season that you can spend some time in some intentional self-care. If you don’t have this on your schedule book it. Once you book it email me, let me know how you are going to take care of yourself in this season! I would love to hear what you are doing and even share with our community for inspiration.

Level up, level up, level up!

When the work comes in hot and heavy, overwhelm can take over and we forget to take those steps towards life-long learning. We should always be learning and expanding. So, consider reading a book or getting involved in a conversation to enhance your knowledge. If you are looking for help in this area, check out the Pop-Up Book Club. We’ll be starting up with some new selections and conversations, so it will be good to see you there.

Hoping you have an amazing start to your next season!