I still associate September with back to school. For me it’s a new season and the beginning of a new year … even if the calendar says otherwise. You can think of January as the beginning of the year AND also think of September as a time to reflect and renew.

Who Do You Want to Be? 

I love this time of year for reflection and dreaming. It’s a powerful time to assess who you are now and who you want to be. 

Start by reflecting on these questions: 

• What has lit you up in the last season or since the beginning of the year?
• What has energized you in the same time period? 
• What has drained you or been a chore? 
• What has worked really well — personal systems, schedule, habits, connection, new friends or activities? 
• What are you ready to release?
• If you made resolutions in January, do they still resonate?

When you’re ready to move on, take some time to dream about what you want in your life. I find freewriting (writing without judging), just writing all thoughts down on paper or your computer about what you’re thinking and also feeling. Doing so is powerful and often illuminating. Don’t censor yourself or try to figure out the “how.” Don’t dismiss ideas because they feel out of reach or silly or in conflict with parts of your current life. Not sure how to get started, try writing: I want to … , I wish I could … , I dream of … whatever comes up write it down. 

Take some time to consider the responses from your reflection and dreaming. What can you learn about what you want or who you want to be? 

Consider a Personal Retreat 

Some quiet time is helpful when you want to reflect and dream. You can absolutely do it as part of a regular journaling practice if you have one, or by taking a little time at the beginning or end of the day over a few days. But consider a personal retreat. 

Could you block off a full day to dig into some of these ideas — or a couple of half days? 

Take some time to center. Maybe take a walk in nature. Turn off your phone and other distractions. Let yourself be with yourself in solitude. 

Here are some exercises you can try on a personal retreat: 

• The reflection and dreaming ideas above
• Values exercise
• Your ideal day

A great starting point is my free guide 3 Steps to a Meaningful Life You Love. You can download that and use it to get started on values and what energizes and engages you.  

If you want to dive deeper into who you are and who you want to be, check out The Everyday Experience. 

Take some time this September to get clarity on who you are, who you want to be, and what you want in your life. What better time to start than now? 

3 Steps to Having a Meaningful Life You Love

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