That weekly report that nobody reads.
The meeting agenda that has not changed in years.
The slide deck has been recycled so often that it has lost its meaning.
We have all been there, running on habit (and a whole lot of caffeine) instead of intention.
September is the reset button we didn’t know we needed. The air shifts, routines return, and projects pick up speed. It’s a natural checkpoint, a moment to pause and ask what’s working, what’s not, and what deserves more clarity.
A reset doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes, a single small change can open the door to connection by cutting a message that no longer matters, establishing a new rhythm for updates, and prompting us to ask “why” once again.
Three ways to begin again this fall
- Declutter your messages. Review the updates you send repeatedly. Do they still serve a purpose, or are they just a habit? Trim the noise and keep the intention.
- Reset your rhythms. If the summer scattered your cadence, choose a new one. Pick a pace that feels sustainable and stick to it. Trust grows from consistency.
- Bring curiosity back. Ask why this channel, why this format, why this length. Curiosity can turn stale habits into meaningful communication again.
Resources to support your reset
Plain language checklist for stronger, clearer writing.
WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools to quickly check digital content for accessibility.
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker for rethinking how you bring people together.
The Noun Project for accessible, uncluttered visuals.
Harvard Business Review: Stop the Meeting Madness for practical advice on meeting fatigue.
A takeaway for work and life
The gift of September is that it doesn’t ask you to overhaul everything. It simply offers permission to start over/begin again.
Choose one recurring communication and rewrite its purpose. Cut one agenda item from your next meeting and add one open-ended question instead. Take one slide deck and simplify it until every slide carries a single message.
Fresh starts don’t have to be loud. Sometimes they are a whisper. But even the smallest reset can shift everything.
