You know that old saying, “New Year, New Me”? Honestly, I’ve never been a fan. I don’t think we need to wait until January to make a change — we can hit reset at any point of the year.

But there’s something about September. Whether you have children or not, the back-to-school feeling is in the air. Summer winds down, autumn edges in, and suddenly there’s a shift — almost like nature is saying, “right, let’s get back to it.”

When I became self-employed, I noticed how quiet summer could be. Everyone’s away, routines are out of sync, and life feels a little on pause. Then September arrives, and it’s like everything switches back on again. Networking events fill the diary, workshops pick back up, schools are back, the roads are busier — and there’s this buzz of fresh energy.

And the best part? Unlike January, there’s no pressure. We’re not weighed down with resolutions, new gym memberships, or leftover chocolates we’re pretending not to eat. September feels gentler. More intentional. A natural reset button.

This year, instead of piling on more to-dos, I’m focusing on a different kind of list — my Stop Doing List.

My “Stop Doing” List

• Stop saying yes when I really mean no.

For me, this is about work–life balance. At the start of the year, I realised I was working more than I was living, so I made changes. But now I’ve tipped the other way. Just because I’m self-employed doesn’t mean “free time” is actually free. I need to be firmer at saying no to friends who assume I’m always available during the day.

• Stop overthinking every decision.

Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. I don’t need to analyse everything to death — action beats perfection every time.

• Stop comparing myself to others.

Social media makes this so tempting, but it’s not real life — it’s the best bits. Even when I try to be authentic, I’ll still take three photos and choose the best one! I’m reminding myself that my path is mine alone.

• Stop spending time on things that drain me.

Doom-scrolling is my big one. I’ve even put boundaries in place: I use Opal to block Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest between 1–4pm, Monday to Friday. It’s amazing how much headspace it frees up.

• Stop putting myself at the bottom of the list.

Your wellbeing fuels everything else. If I keep putting myself last, everything suffers. So this autumn, self-care is staying at the top of my priorities.

✨ And that’s it — my September reset. Not about doing more, but about doing less of what holds me back.

If you’re feeling that September buzz too, maybe it’s time to write your own Stop Doing List. What could you let go of to make space for the things that matter most?

And if you’d like some help with your own reset, this is exactly why I run 1:1 coaching, cold water therapy sessions, business wellbeing workshops, and my Networking Blueprint course. September is the perfect time to refocus — and I’d love to support you in making those changes stick.

Sophie:

Is September the New January?

We’ve all heard the phrase “New Year, New Me” and unsurprisingly, I’ve never been a fan. Why wait until January to make a change when we can hit reset at any point of the year?

That said, there’s something undeniably powerful about September. Whether you have children or not, that back-to-school feeling lingers in the air. Summer winds down, autumn edges in, and suddenly there’s a shift, like nature is nudging us to say, “right, let’s get back to it.”

When I first became self-employed, I noticed how different the seasons felt. Summer is quieter as people are away, routines drift and life feels a little on pause. But once September arrives, everything springs back to life. Networking events fill the diary, workshops restart, the school run is back and there’s this fresh energy that’s hard to ignore.

What I love the most about this is that unlike January, September doesn’t come with pressure. We’re not weighed down with strict resolutions, expensive gym memberships or leftover Christmas chocolates. September feels softer and more intentional. Less about “fixing” ourselves and more about realigning.

This year, I’m taking a slightly different approach. Instead of writing another list of things to achieve, I’ve written a Stop Doing List.

My Stop Doing List

1. Stop saying yes when I really mean no.

This is a big one for me. At the start of the year, I realised I was working more than I was living, so I made some changes. But I’ve since tipped the other way. Just because I’m self-employed doesn’t mean my free time is automatically “free.” I need to be firmer in protecting my time and energy.

2. Stop overthinking every decision.

Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. I don’t need to analyse everything to death - action beats perfection every time.

3. Stop comparing myself to others.

Social media makes this one tricky. It’s so easy to compare yourself to highlight reels. Even when I try to be authentic, I still take three photos and pick the best one! I’m reminding myself that my journey is mine alone.

4. Stop spending time on things that drain me.

For me, doom-scrolling is the worst offender. To tackle it, I’ve put boundaries in place. I use Opal to block distracting apps like Instagram and TikTok during the day. The extra headspace it creates is incredible.

5. Stop putting myself at the bottom of the list.

This one’s non-negotiable. Your wellbeing fuels everything else. If I keep putting myself last, everything else suffers. So this autumn, self-care is staying at the top of my priorities.

So, that’s my September reset. Not about doing more, but about doing less of the things that hold me back.

If you’re feeling that September buzz too, maybe it’s time to write your own Stop Doing List. What could you let go of to make space for the things that matter most?

And if you’d like some help with your own reset, this is exactly why I run 1:1 coaching, cold water therapy sessions, business wellbeing workshops and my Networking Blueprint course. September is the perfect time to refocus and I’d love to support you in making those changes stick.

Love Ruth x