Seasonal Refresh
Everyone always talks about Spring cleaning,
but what about fall cleaning? Because I don’t know about you, but doing a big cleaning only once a year just doesn’t cut it for me. I feel like both spring and fall are pivotal times between major seasons and both deserve a good refresh and reset.
Personally, I noticed this summer that I kind of let some things start to slip and go by the wayside {Totally fine because it meant I was actually living and enjoying life, but also not okay for it to become the standard!}, or develop some not-so-great habits {like scrolling through the ‘gram longer than I should be in the AM or forgetting to add things to my calendar}, so reigning it in and making some changes is more than necessary if I’m going to have a productive remainder of 2019. Also, I think I’ve mentioned it a few times before, but the 4th quarter is one of my busiest seasons {as I think it is for a lot of people}, so before it gets into full swing, I like to check for any opportunities to minimize unnecessary things and maximize every effort. Below, I’m sharing a few ways I’m refreshing and resetting this season the different areas of my life so I can step into the new season with my best foot forward.
WEARING
SUNGLASSES // H&M
EARRINGS // F21
TOP // BROCHU WALKER C/O {fits tts}
PANTS // BROCHU WALKER C/O {pants run small, size up one size}
SHOES // ZARA {SIMILAR}
IN
SANTA MONICA, CA
WORK
organize photos // Not only do I take thousands of photos every week, but I’m perpetually in a state of screenshotting and saving everything under the sun (Who can relate?!). After a recent business review, I realized that my lack of being able to find photos is holding me up big time when it comes to some important work goals, so I’m on a mission to not only get my photos organized, but also create some sort of system for moving forward in a more efficient manner.
clean up emails // Similarly to my photos, my emails are getting a unorganized and hard to sort through. I’m doing a quick clean-up, unsubscribing from things no longer needed and refreshing my canned email responses (Always such a time saver!).
highlighting things of note // I like to look ahead to the quarter ahead and make note of anything bigger coming up, things like trips, any birthdays I need to mail presents for, project deadlines, etc. Of course, things can always come up and change last minute, but having some sort of outline helps tremendously when it comes to planning out individually weeks and months, and deciding on what additional projects and/or trips I can take on.
calendar clean up // After highlighting anything of note, I like to clean up my calendar, update colors, change categories, etc. I’m a firm believer that success begins with a very organized calendar, so it’s crucial to get it in order if you want to get everything else in order.
goal check // Not to stress you out or anything, but there’s a little less than 4 months to the end of the year {and the beginning of a new decade…totally not stressful at all! Ha!}, so remember those goals you set at the beginning of the year? Yeah, you should probably check in on them. For me, I like to see what I’ve accomplished, see if any of my goals have shifted and, for the ones I’m struggling to reach, see what I can shift to make them happen or adjust them if they’re no longer a goal I’m interested in meeting.
finances // Just like goals, it’s important to check in on your finances. For me, the 4th quarter is when I make a huge portion of my annual income, so, before I head into the season, I like to understand where I am with my overall financial goals so I can see if I need to pitch for extra projects, or maybe even hire help or outsource something if I have more than I can handle on my own.
streamline processes // I’m all about efficiency and streamlining, and in this day and age, especially in the creative space, there are always new apps and platforms to help you do just that. I like to go over what I’m using, whether it’s the system I use for sending invoices or how I share projects with clients, to see if there is anything new and make switches where appropriate. It’s also a great time to update any templates (like invoices or contracts), media kits (if you’re a creative), etc.
minimize distractions // I mentioned it above, but one area where I feel like I really slipped over the summer was my distractions, specifically with social media, so I’m really working on getting that in check. I’m keeping my phone on the other side of the room when I’m working, I’ve unfollowed accounts and muted stories on others, I’ve scheduled times for me to be on social media and set a timer for others, and Dave and I are making sure we hold each other accountable, calling one another out if we see the other spending way too much time on our phones.
batch items // Batching things is my favorite way to be efficient in getting things done, but it’s yet another thing that slipped over the summer, so I’m getting back to batching and scheduling things in groups on my calendar.
HOME
deep clean // You know, like, the ones where you actually move your couch to vacuum behind it, not just around it
seasonal switches // I like to swap out things like light + airy candles to ones that are smoky + moody, switch up coffee table books and re-arrange shelves. It’s also a good time to check and see if things like towels and sheets are worn out and need to be replaced, if you’re low on things like light bulbs, batteries and cleaning supplies {One giant Amazon prime order for the re-stocking win!} and if things like plants need to be re-potted, rotated or trimmed back.
KITCHEN
clean out the refrigerator //Why is the shelf on the door of a refrigerator always dirty and why are there a never-ending amount of jars and condiment bottles stuffed in some back corner? Also, don’t forget to swap out that old baking soda box for a new one.
re-stock the pantry // After cleaning things out, it’s easy to see what you’re low on and need to replace. I especially like to make sure I have extra of things that I know I use all the time {like coconut milk for my smoothies and quinoa for grain bowls} along with plenty of snack options and items I can grab for quick meals to minimize mid-week runs to the grocery store. Bonus idea- consider temporarily signing up for a meal delivery and/or grocery delivery service to help get through a busy time.
CLOSET
seasonal swaps // Time to pull out the winter boxes and swap out the maxi dresses for sweaters and sandals for booties.
refresh the wardrobe // This is also the perfect time to take stock of your wardrobe and see what needs to be replaced. Maybe your sweater has a hole you didn’t notice before and needs to be repaired, or your beloved booties have seen a little too much love and it’s time to replace them. Fix what you can, donate things you’re no longer interested in and make a list of what needs to be replaced.
BEAUTY
sort products // Check for expired items and toss those, get rid of anything you aren’t using and make sure you have back-ups ready to go of items that are almost empty. Also, check in on any new skincare concerns {like new breakouts that just won’t go away, or more dark spots after a summer in the sun} and adjust your routine accordingly.
book appointments // Time to get your beauty maintenance appointments squared away before the season gets away from you and you realized you’ve gone 12 months without a hair trim.
PERSONAL
check in with finances // Similarly to business finances, it’s important to check in on personal financial goals and plan for the remainder of the year, especially as we’re getting ready to enter a quarter that can be rather expensive {help, Christmas gifts!}.
switch up the workout routine // I primarily do on-line workout classes so it can be easy for me to get in a rut, doing the same favorite videos over and over again. To switch things up, I recently gave myself a new challenge of doing a few different videos {one for abs, one for arms one for butt} 2x a week for at least a month, or until the exercises become easy and I need to increase my weight {whichever comes first}. I work out to feel good and strong so I never need goals based on looks or numbers, but I do need goals to keep things interesting and give me something to work for, and this is the perfect way to do that.
get bad habits in check // I mentioned the phone and social media thing above, but that isn’t the only thing that I let slip over the summer. Whether it’s too many afternoon snacks, eating late night desserts, not sticking to my morning and evening routines, slacking on taking my vitamins, etc. I’ve got several things to get back to this season, which I’m doing by setting reminders, adding them to my schedule, setting new goals {to re-motivate me, kind of like I did with the workout thing} or switching them up so they’re not boring {like having my morning coffee on the patio instead of on the couch, or taking a few minutes to read before getting into work}.