7 Ways to Prepare for Success This Fall

Planning

Aug 10

Written By Megan Minns

Is it just me, or is Fall like the start of a new year?

It's such an exciting time!

But if you don't plan in advance, then you may not be taking full advantage of the season.

That is why I'm sharing the 7 things I'm doing right now (in August!) to prepare for the Fall.

7 Ways To Prepare For Success This Fall:

Why is August important?

Gary Vaynerchuk recently published an article where he says that "August is the time to go all in."

In his video, he also says that:

August is always the month that sets the tone for your future

Gary goes on to elaborate that most people spend August relaxing and enjoying the last part of summer.

For the record, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I'm definitely taking things slower and enjoying the last of this slower season.

That being said, August is the perfect time to get ready and prepare for the Fall.

That way you can jump head first into the last months of the year, ready to go, and with a plan in hand!

Here's what I'm doing this month to get ready for the Fall:

1. Bringing back the morning routine

Earlier this year, I built an incredible morning routine.

It helped me start my day on the right foot (both mentally and physically) and consistently led to happier, more productive, and more satisfying days.

Despite all those benefits, I stopped doing my morning routine this Summer.

I have no idea why... but it just faded away.

So the first thing I'm doing in order to prepare for the Fall, is bringing back my morning routine.

I can already see a difference in how I feel each day since I started doing this again!

My morning routine consists of working out, meditating, journaling, and preparing my workspace.

2. Redoing daily / weekly schedule

I know that in order for me to do my best work, I need boundaries within my day.

Just like with my morning routine, my previously established daily and weekly schedule stopped happening this Summer.

So, I'm taking time this month to re-establish my schedule and plan what I want my days and weeks to look like that.

Here are some examples of what I might build into my weekly and daily schedule:

My morning routine
No meetings before lunch
1 hour for a livestream I do every Tuesday over on Facebook
Wednesday morning is for writing
Monday morning is for my most important creative work

In order to plan out my ideal day (and thus, my ideal week) I've created a free Ideal Day Planner!

You can download your own copy of this workbook below if you need help designing your own ideal day:

3. Focusing on personal development

August is the perfect time to read the books that you've been wanting to read, go through the online courses you've purchased, and really focus on personal development.

I've loved digging into learning mode this Summer and feel like it's really prepared me to take action this Fall.

4. Revisiting and resetting goals

This has been a huge step for me this Summer to find clarity before rolling into the last few months of the year!

This is the perfect time to go back and look at the goals you set for the year and revisit them.

What were the goals you set?

Are the goals relevant still?

What do you want to accomplish for the next 4-5 months and what can you realistically do in that timeframe?

5. Mapping out the rest of the year

Now that you know what you want to accomplish, you need to figure out when you're going to do it.

For me, this is what makes goals start to look tangible and attainable.

Whip out that big calendar, hang it up on the wall, and start putting dates to your goals.

When will you launch that new course?

When will you create the course?

When are you taking time off?

When will you start that YouTube channel?

It's okay to keep these deadlines loose. Once you start putting down dates (see next step), you'll probably find yourself moving things around quite a bit - that is normal!

6. Creating action plans

Now that you have some tentative dates in mind, you need to create an action plan and make these goals real.

I like to do this in my project management system, Asana, but you can do this in whatever system you like to use - Trello, ToDoist, or even on paper.

In order to create your action plans, you need to start breaking down these big goals into actual steps and tasks that will help you accomplish it.

Figure out who is going to do this, when are they going to do it, and how does the timeline seem?

Once you start mapping out your action plan, you may realize some of your tentative dates are unrealistic and that you need more time to actually get ready.

That is normal and perfectly okay! Instead of getting frustrated, be honest and realistic, and move dates around as needed.

7. Cleaning and organizing your workspace (and home)

Now is the time to go through your house and your office and de-clutter and organize!

Go through your junk drawers and piles of paper. Shred papers that you can shred. Scan papers that you can save digitally. And go through your home to donate and throw away things you don't really need or use.

If you watch my video above you'll hear that I'm doing a huge cleanout of the drawers I have behind my desk.

This will help you feel clean, refreshed, and organized as you jump into the Fall!