9 September Goals to Finish the Year Strong
Last Updated on July 22, 2024
As a gentle breeze sweeps away the heat while you enjoy your last days at the beach, you suddenly realize you are entering a new season of life.
Stepping into the last quarter of 2024, it’s common to feel overwhelmed and disappointed by unaccomplished goals and unmet expectations.
If you’re feeling this way, don’t panic! After all, September is the new January (at least that’s what they say) 😉
In this article, you’ll discover why September is the best month to set new goals and the 9 doable goals you can achieve by the end of the year.
So, are you ready to finish 2024 working towards the right goals? Then, let’s get started!
Psst…pin this post below to stay accountable all September long!
Why September Is the Best Month for Goal-setting
There’s a thing called “fresh start effect” that makes September the best month for setting new goals.
In the first years of our lives, we got primed to view September as a month for new beginnings.
In September, kids start going back to school. Businesses reopen after the summer holidays. People start new jobs or move to a different country.
The “fresh start effect” makes it feel like everything is possible. There is a shared optimism and positivity in the air that motivates people to set ambitious goals.
You might be familiar with this feeling, as you experience it:
- At the end or beginning of the year
- Leading up to your birthday
- When you move to another place
- As you switch jobs
- After a breakup
- Every Monday morning
So, why not take advantage of this clean slate to achieve new goals, this September?
Here Are 9 Doable Goals You Can Achieve by the End of the Year
1. Do a Life Audit
Most of the time we leave the huge task of reviewing goals and analyzing our lives only for the end of the year.
Around Christmas time, though, there are a lot of mixed emotions that can interfere with our ability to look at our lives objectively.
We might be in a negative state of mind and tend to see all the mistakes we’ve made and goals we haven’t achieved.
The result? We end up starting the new year from a negative headspace, setting goals and resolutions but – deep inside – not even believing we will achieve them.
So, why wait? Why let one week of analysis and judgment dictate the quality of a whole year? Isn’t it better to start reviewing what’s working and what isn’t a bit in advance, so you can have a better perspective over it all?
One of the best goals you could set this September is to start reviewing your life.
You could do a monthly life audit – for example using the Wheel of Life (which, by the way, you find at the end of every month in the 2024 Dream Life Planner you can download below for free 😉 ):
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Some questions to get you inspired when doing a life audit are:
- What areas of my life am I focusing the most on?
- What does bring me energy? Am I doing enough of those activities?
- How do I feel? Why do I feel like this? What does contribute to making me feel this way?
Take some time – every week, or every month – to reflect.
By doing so, you end the year on a better note – having more clarity about your overall quality of life.
In this way, you can enter the new year letting go of what’s no longer serving you, creating more space for what does.
2. Start That Project, Now
There is a feeling of general resignation as another year ends.
Most people tend to put things off, thinking it’s too late. What’s the point of starting now?
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying: “I’ll start on Monday”, “I’ll wait for the right moment”, or “I will start (or stop) [X] on the new year” – then you’re guilty of this too.
You’re procrastinating, again. You’re putting things off, waiting for the perfect moment to make things happen.
Here’s the truth: the right moment doesn’t exist!
There is just time, and what you decide to do with it. All you have is here and now – so, why wait?
Maybe you had entered the year thinking that you would have finally started your blog, launched your business, written that book, or got in the best shape of your life.
Now it’s September and you’ve barely made any progress, so you feel like it’s purposeless to do something about it.
Let me ask you this: “Why do you want to keep waiting?”.
You still have 3 full months ahead of you. There is so much you can do in 3 months! But only you can decide…
You can either have 3 months of progress or 3 months of excuses. It’s up to you.
3. Reframe Your Mindset
I will never get tired of repeating this: your mindset can either set you up for success or failure! It’s all about the recurring thoughts, limiting beliefs, and affirmations you engage in…
In these last months of the year, not only you should embrace the idea that the right moment doesn’t exist; but, you should also let go of other beliefs that are keeping you stuck.
- Do you have a fixed or growth mindset?
- Are you engaging in self-sabotaging mechanisms?
- What words do you say to yourself?
- Do you mostly have positive or negative thoughts?
- What story about yourself and your life have you created? Is that serving you or holding you back?
RELATED: Read here “55 Journal Prompts for a Growth Mindset”
Mindset work is one of the toughest challenges you’ll ever go through.
Every time, you’ll step into a new phase of life that will threaten your sense of (false) self and security.
You put things off or keep waiting for the perfect moment – whether that’s January or your next birthday – because you’re approaching life with the wrong mindset.
There’s no such thing as “new year, new me”.
Life will keep placing the same obstacles and challenges in front of you until you learn the lesson it’s been trying to teach you.
Stop waiting, and start working on your mindset now – so that you can enter the new year as a new you, not because you’ve flipped a page in your calendar, but because you were able to reframe your mindset.
4. Focus on Systems
The reason why you fail at achieving your goals is because you haven’t set the right systems.
Usually, people tend to create an action plan portraying the ideal settings – that is to say when life is good and simple, and everything runs smoothly and as it should. But life is rarely like that…
So, when life gets in the way or the initial burst of motivation wears off, people give it all up. This is why 92% of people fail at sticking to their New Year’s resolutions by February…
If you want to create long-lasting habits, you need to prepare for the unexpected.
Your action plan should take into account obstacles and challenges you’re likely to face in your journey – because let me tell you: change is never all sunshine and rainbows!
A TOOL YOU’LL LOVE: Grab your Goal Planner!
Science says 92% of people don’t achieve their goals. After using this goal planner, it’ll be crystal clear why. (And how you can be the 8% who does!)
My Printable Goal Planner gives you the best strategy to brainstorm, plan, AND effectively achieve the right goals for your life!
Let’s say this September you set the goal to journal every day. Ideally, you want to write for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night.
In an ideal world, you’d be able to do that. In real life, there will be mornings in which you’ll be running out of the door not to be late for work and nights in which you only want to scroll on your phone.
How can you work towards this goal, realistically? By setting up the right system. For example, you could:
- Place your journal on your nightstand
- Associate journaling with another habit (like drinking your coffee in the morning)
- Be flexible (for example by being okay with writing only for 5 minutes if you’re short on time)
Find what works for you. Make it as easy as possible to achieve your goals and stick to your habits. Create a system that works for you.
5. Take Care of Your Mental Health
The transition from summer to fall – and even worse to winter – is a challenge for many.
When summer ends, the long, sunny, and carefree days leave space for tight deadlines, piles of work, and grumpy moods.
Going back from vacation can leave you feeling frustrated, annoyed, and even depressed. Sunday scaries hit harder after a 2-week PTO. Plus, those winter blues are a real thing.
One of the best goals you could set this September is to take care of your mental health. You don’t have to wait to reach your lowest point to ask for help.
Taking care of your mental health could look like:
- Journaling every day
- Starting your day meditating
- Repeating positive affirmations
- Keeping a gratitude journal
- Reading in the evening
- Talking to a friend every night
These positive habits can help you feel more present, and grounded, and lift your mood.
But, if you fear there might be something more serious going on, you might consider starting therapy.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of when asking for help. Take the first step and seek professional help if that’s what you need.
6. Become More Intentional
If you haven’t made much progress on your goals by now, the problem is that you’re not spending your time wisely.
The most valuable thing in life is time. How are you spending yours?
This September, one of your main goals should be to become more intentional with your time. Why? Because once you learn how to invest your time, your whole life will change.
You will have the time to work on what matters to you the most. That, in turn, will make you feel more accomplished and full of energy. You will do better, feel better, and be better.
In today’s world, everyone and everything wants to grab your attention. Don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for this fake sense of urgency – for which everything seems urgent, even when it’s not important!
Hold your power. Be selective of your time and your energy.
Being more intentional means adding more presence to your life which, ultimately, leads to a better life.
A life that’s worth remembering. But, you won’t remember any of it if your mind is always elsewhere.
Becoming more intentional can be achieved through:
- Unfollowing people on social media
- Doing a dopamine detox
- Avoiding multitasking
- Turning mindfulness into a regular practice
- Saying “no” more often
- Practicing active listening
Learn how to be where your feet are. Your time is limited. Choose wisely how to invest it.
7. Invest in Your Social Circle
The change of season might have you feeling down. The consequence? You’ll be drawn to close up, stay inside, and not socialize.
But, we’re social creatures. We need interactions. Meaningful interactions.
So, as September approaches, you should set the goal to keep investing in your social circle even if summer is now over and all the fun plans are gone.
Despite the temperature change, you can still organize fun things!
Create a fall bucket list of activities you want to try out and events you want to go to – and, why not? Make sure to invite some friends to tag along! (Happiness is better when it’s shared 😉 )
Some social activities you could plan this September are:
- Visit a pumpkin patch
- Go for afternoon walks
- Try apple picking
- Do a cozy movie marathon
- Sign up for a book club
- Join a new workout class
Just because you’ve used your PTO and summer is over, it doesn’t mean you should stop socializing.
8. Stop Complaining
Make it a goal or a challenge, this September, to not complain – even once!
Think about it: how much energy do you waste complaining about your life, people, work, traffic, or the weather?
Now, let me ask you: “Has complaining ever made a difference?”.
Complaining is one of the worst energy drainers: it tires you out and you might not even realize it!
It’s like looking at the world through a pair of negative lenses. Do you really want to live your life this way?
So, this September, why not challenge yourself? Try going a week without complaining about anything – yes, not even the weather!
Whenever you catch yourself complaining (whether it’s in your head or out loud), immediately try to “balance it out” by thinking about five positive things that make your life good.
When you focus on the good, the good gets better. Allow yourself to see the good that’s in your life.
9. Start Planning for the New Year
The final – and probably one of the most important goals – you could set for this September is to start planning for the year ahead.
As mentioned in point #1, the end of the year is an emotionally packed period for many.
It’s not the very best time to set goals, make resolutions, and decide how you want to live the next 365 days of your life…
So, keeping this in mind – why don’t you plan for the new year a little ahead?
Some questions to start thinking about are:
- What major goal do I want to accomplish in the next year?
- What good habits would I like to adopt?
- How do I want to feel in the new year?
- What bad habits do I need to get rid of?
- What would my ideal routine look like?
- Who does make me feel good?
- Who, on the other hand, brings out the worst in me?
- What would I like to do more of? How can I make time for that?
RELATED: Read here “40 New Year Journal Prompts”
Don’t leave all the planning for December! I mean, why wait?
Conclusion
That’s all for me! I hope you enjoyed the article.
Hopefully, it has you entering September with a fresh, new mindset and positive outlook!
Let this be your reminder that you can achieve all the goals you put your mind to. You’ve got this!
Q: “What’s your top goal for September?” – Share it in the comments! 🙂
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About the Author
Giada Crepaldi, the author behind “PurposefulDreamers”, has one mission: to help you become the BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF so that you can create and live your DREAM LIFE!
On her blog, she shares the most effective productivity hacks, time-management techniques, healthy habits, and all the mindset work you need to do to live up to your FULL POTENTIAL. Are you ready to change your life for the better? Take now the first step towards the life you’ve ever dreamed of – it’s only one click away…
Thank you so much for the opportunity of working together! It was a pleasure teaming up with you ☺️