In fact don't wait for anything, don't wait until Monday, don't wait for a new month and yeah, definitely don't wait until the new year. Want to make a change, instil new habits?
Start now.
When the calendar turned to September this year I had a real sense of a fresh start. Some real "back to school" energy, possibly because for the first time ever in my life I have kids who were returning to nursery after Summer. I had more time on my hands to dedicate to my business (and myself) and I was buzzing to use it!
I then tuned into the Mel Robbins Podcast, as I regularly do, and up popped one of Mel's most recent episodes "How to get ahead of 99% of people in 4 months" and it just validated exactly why I was feeling these feels in September. Turns out there is loads of evidence to support September/October, basically as we go into Autumn, as a much better "new year" than January.
Life changes in September, literally. We go from summer to Autumn and all around us nature is changing. The leaves change from green to orange, yellow and brown. The air changes from warm to cold. We go from Summer holidays back to our routines. The world around us is busy and productive, preparing to slow down to go into the deep winter months aka January. I think we often mistake Autumn as actual slow down time but I don't see it that way anymore. Mother nature is all around us doing her thing so she can chill in the winter, this is the time to do the work.
January is of course when the calendar changes hence why in our minds it seems like the best time to start new, new, new, new but, the reality is, there couldn't be a worse month than January to make changes.
This shows in the fact that (according to a you.gov study) 17% of folks in the UK give up on their resolutions within ONE MONTH and only 11% of people stick with them until the end of the year. Makes sense though doesn't it? It's cold, we're skint after the expense of Christmas and we're made up of 99% chocolate.
Imagine, instead of sitting there just after the new year holidays giving yourself a hard time thinking right, I need to pull my socks up here, I need to lose the Christmas weight, I need to get back on top of Instagram for my small business etc etc etc you just did what nature does and enjoyed the depths of the winter months moving slowly, eating extra and knowing that your small business was still ticking over exactly as it should because you've already done the prep work? It's a nice thought isn't it.
Let's not leave it at just a thought. Let's do it team!
Here are a few things you can do just now to instil better habits now for your small business:
Start planning content with purpose. Each post you create should have a strategy pointing to a bigger goal
Show up consistently, just as you are. Don 't wait till that spot dies down or your hair is done, show up now. Your ability to do that - be yourself online - is the one thing guaranteed to stand you apart
Prep your business for the holidays with scheduled posts, out of office auto replies and pinned posts on Instagram with your holiday details
Set your goals just now. What, realistically, do you want/need your business to bring in over the winter months, plan for that just now!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you already make plans in the Autumn to sail through the winter or has this blog inspired you to think a bit differently this year?
Come find me on Instagram @amandahughes.uk and let me know! I'd love to hear from you in my DM's. While you're there you can check out the many tools I have available for you to help you make these changes as easy as possible like my social media planner, my group Instagram mentorship and all the tips and tricks I share on my Instagram page.
See ya there,
Amanda
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