Autumn Motivation : How to reset after the summer holidays

One of the many things that drew me to growing and selling cut flowers was the flexibility it gave me around childcare. I am able to choose as much or as little work I take on. My husband has zero flexibility in his role which means (all) the childcare falls to me. A situation I am happy with and chose but still requires constant evaluating and tweaking to get into a rhythm that works for us, well me!

Today I want to share how I’m resetting this Autumn and finding my motivation after the summer holidays.

After turning the dial down on flowers following a July wedding, getting back up to speed with our routine has been more of a challenge than I was expecting. I had high hopes that by the end of the first week back to school we’d be rolling – that didn’t happen. However, by the end of week three I started to feel a shift. The days are beginning feel less chaotic and I’ve finally got my hands in the soil again. Here are some practices that have helped me find my feet again and I hope they do the same for you.

Here are my simple ways to bring some order back to your days this September.

Clean the floor – that could be your actual kitchen floor, office, studio, lawn or greenhouse. Having a clean space underfoot is the equivalent of a new notebook…pass the mop!

Take three deep breaths & light a candle – Before I turn on any outside sounds, I light a candle and take a deep breath. Sounds a bit crazy but having a quiet moment in my kitchen helps me have a moment of peace and steadiness before I start breakfast negotiations.

then…

List, List, List – It was fun putting everything off until September, until September came. I’ve been writing everything down, from wrapping birthday presents to school stuff, jobs that must be done in the garden and improvements that I’d like taken care of at home. I highlight only top three and concentrate on them, I did this a lot when I worked as a PA and it helps me no-end when there are different tasks to do in different areas.

Vision or Mood Board – I have been planning my work in the garden for the next three months. For this, I find the best way is to create a vision board. It doesn’t take long, but gives me clear direction of where I want to go. I have been able to plan and buy bulbs for planting in November, add missing seeds to a planting plan to sow this autumn and collecting inspiration for DIY projects that I’d like to share in the upcoming months. When the time finally arrives to get going, I know what I need to do and when.

Lean into to it –  I work best with a bit of structure and routine but sometimes I just have to lean into the busy and know that it’ll pass. Failing that I have a bath and get an early night!