Hey Reader,
Here in Scotland, the shift is definitely underway. The wood burner was on at the weekend while I curled up with my book. I’m not a pumpkin spiced latte girl, but I do like candles, cosy fires and lots of layers - think blankets, woolen jumpers (not itchy ones though!) and bed socks. Oh, and maybe a hot chocolate. There’s something about this time of year that makes me want to slow down and get organised all at once. (It’s on the list this weekend to help my teen daughter declutter her bedroom - wish me luck!).
Anyway, if you’ve had that creeping “I should probably figure out what I’m doing for the rest of the year” thought… I hear you!
But before you go setting 27 new targets and colour-coding your planner, here’s a gentler approach to planning a new quarter:
3 types of goals, that actually make a difference:
- One to reduce effort
- One to increase joy
- One to future-proof your business
That’s it. Simple. Sustainable. And no fluff.
Here’s what mine are for Q4:
🧹 Reduce effort: I’m switching my call booking system from Calendly over to Moxie (the CRM I already use). It’ll streamline things and save me juggling another platform. Small change, but it’s going to clean up a lot of loose ends behind the scenes.
🎤 Increase joy: I’m giving a keynote in November (exciting/terrifying) and working with a speaker coach to prep. I love to learn new things, and I’m excited to hone my skills. I’ve got my first session next week; more to come on this!
🌱 Future-proof the business: I’m creating a new lead magnet designed for small teams and SMEs… the kind of clients I love working with in my consultancy. I’m thinking about building it in public with my email list watching (hi 👋) - do let me know if this would be interesting to you (hit reply, and give me your feedback).
Oh… and I’m also quietly revisiting some of my own internal systems. The ones that sit at the bottom of the list because they’re not “urgent,” even though they’re the ones that hold everything together. It feels good to give them some proper attention.
And before I set any new goals, I always look at what’s already in the diary. Now is the perfect time to do a quick sense-check of the next few months:
📌 Are there any scheduling conflicts to sort out?
📌 Anything that needs to be added to your to-do list, like renewing insurance, booking health checks or arranging childcare around events or travel?
📌 Is there anything you’ve said yes to, but haven’t really planned for? (When I say yes to something, I block time for the event and the prep that comes with it).
Taking 20 minutes to map this out now saves a lot of last-minute juggling later.
If you’re setting goals for Q4, you don’t need to go big. You just need to be intentional.
So… what are your three?
If one of your goals involves sorting the systems behind your business… your projects, team operations or internal processes… that’s exactly what I do through my project management consultancy.
👉 Curious what that could look like for your business? You can find out more here.
I work with thoughtful founders and small teams to bring calm, clarity and structure to the way work gets done.
Best,
Sarah
