How to make your September "Go Time"
I decided in June that September would be a distinct new phase for my business. Here's my thoughts from the french countryside on how to prepare for pastures new...
I write this from sunny northern France, after a quick morning visit to a hypermarché piled high with ‘rentrée scolaire’ - or ‘back to school’ - promotions. Very handy for stocking up on cut prices biros (yay!), but for me, that phrase has never lost the pang of sadness rooted in childhood. ‘Back to School’ confirmed the horrible truth: the long days were shortening and the air was getting cooler. The end of summer meant the end of freedom.
Of course once I became an adult, back to school became meaningless - yay again! And with no kids and a freelance life I could take time off when I pleased. Off-peak holidays were a no-brainer: empty beaches in June, cheap city breaks in October – bliss.
Then I met Hamish: a teacher, and now my husband. So for 14 years, despite having no kids, the school calendar has ruled my life. Yes, the upside is his long stretches of time off (he earns every minute of it!) and we’ve had glorious three, four - even five-week adventures. But the downside? Peak season prices. I had to trade my smug off-peak bargains for high-season scrambles. We’ve found ways – house swaps, bargain hunts, or just sucking it up – but I’ve come to accept that July and August are now “our” months.
So this week in northern France - where we bagged a last-minute free house swap - feels like a stolen extra slice of summer. Every morning I pad barefoot across the lawn, take in the peace and, tea in hand, notice the cooler edge to the air. I can really feel myself gearing up for September.
Because this summer I also made a pact with myself. I didn’t want to just drift aimlessly towards the autumn. I wanted to use this relative downtime to reset, reflect, and get ready. I’ve had a sense that a new direction and focus for my business is emerging, so I committed to making September “go time”. And, rather marvellously, I’ve done it!
I’ve finally lined up a business coach after searching for most of the year.
I’ve commissioned a designer to overhaul my tired old website.
I’ve booked a photographer for new brand shots (thank goodness for my Berlin shopping spree – I now have outfits that scream “confident, midlife reinvention goddess” rather than “meh, that’ll do”).
And - biggest of all - I’ve scheduled lens replacement surgery. Because frankly, I’m done squinting at notes on stage and half-recognising people in the audience.
But alongside all the “doing,” I also made time to pause. To digest what this year has already brought. Another surgery back in February. A life-changing breathwork training in Austria in March (watch this space – workshops coming soon). Not to mention my keynote at LSE in July, which still makes me beam with pride. It’s been a lot! And it deserved acknowledgement before leaping forward again.
But the other lesson that landed this week came - as these things often do - on a walk.
On Saturday, Hamish - a whizz with the Outdoor Active app - stitched together a circular hike in Pas-de-Calais. We set off from a picture-postcard village and headed up into the forest - greeting the gorgeous big cream cows on the way. It was heavenly, and I felt that familiar deep joy at the prospect of our relaxing countryside walk. But then things got scrappy with longer grass and thicker trees. Soon we were scrambling through undergrowth that definitely didn’t feel a “path.”
Old Wendy - anxious Wendy - would’ve lost it. I’d have huffed, snapped at Hamish, accused him of “getting us lost” - you name it. My old fear triggered, I’d have been leaking panic in a frenzy of blame. But this time, I stayed calm. I suffered a few scratches, yes, but I trusted him, trusted the map and trusted we’d find our way through.
And of course we did (and I’m grateful for him taking the above pic as I emerged from the Bush!) Yet the path reappeared, only to shortly afterwards then become brambles so thick we had to hack them back with sticks. I did my best not to imagine adders coiling round my ankles and kept moving forward. And in that moment I realised: THIS is exactly what “back to school” – and my September reboot – was really all about.
Because whilst I’ve laid out plans with my coach, booked the website upgrade, and sorted the photos - the truth is, my next chapter is going to take me down unfamiliar paths, so it might not feel so comfortable. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. I don’t know how the terrain will feel. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be lost or getting anything ‘wrong’. It just means I’m growing and boldly stepping towards something new.
And that’s the deal in a nutshell. If we want new outcomes – in business, relationships, purpose – we have to take a leap of faith and step off the tidy, well-trodden paths. The French woods aren’t like the manicured Kent footpaths I’m used to. They’re wilder, uneven and more demanding. But they’re also richer - and consequently more rewarding.
And in all this I’ve realised the fallacy of “back to school”: September isn’t about “going back” at all for any of us. It’s about a new start for the tail end of the year. It invites us to venture forward into the unfamiliar and reminds us that the year is far from over. And it’s about trusting our life-map - and making sure we have one - so we can clear brambles as we go, and hold the belief that any scratches will be worth it for what lies ahead.
As I stood at the edge of that forest, dishevelled but grinning, I thought: yes, Wendy. This is your prep. This is your final lesson of the summer. Get ready: you’re all set to tread new ground.
So as summer fades, what unfamiliar path might you be brave enough to take this September? What might you be ready to take steps towards? Because it’s the unfamiliar roads that lead to our most deeply desired destinations. If we stay with what feels comfortable, chances are we won’t get closer to what we truly desire - because when it’s time for change, our old ways just don’t cut it anymore.
If you’re ready to make September your ‘Go-Time’ - if you’re ready to finish 2025 strong - why not book in a FREE call with me so we can set you up for the way ahead? Click the button below and let’s talk - and scroll down for more information.
DFY Recommends…
Watch this:
Yes, I know, Yellowstone isn’t remotely a new show - its first series aired back in 2018 and it’s fifth and likely final season concluded the end of last year. But for many of us, these shows don’t become accessible until they reach bigger streaming platforms such as Netflix - and that’s where you’ll now find the show. Yellowstone might feel like Succession with cowboys, but that’s of course no bad thing (though why do these families only have one female amongst their pack of brothers?). Set in Montana, it tackles Reservation tensions and inequalities along with the central familial travails.
Kevin Costner is magnificent as Jon Dutton, the dastardly patriarch ruthlessly ruling over his motley crew of traumatised adult children. Also in the mix is a rich cast of characters all with various devious intersecting plans and dodgy histories. I was a little uncertain initially - especially with Kelly Reilly’s splendid but rather one-note character Beth making the show feel distinctly lacking in credible female depictions. Still, we’ve only watched up to mid-season 2 so far, and Beth is feeling a tad more substantial - so I’m definitely all in. In fact the only downside is the lack of Costner’s winning smile - the one that stole our hearts in his 80s/90s romcom heyday. And considering his Yellowstone character’s dark and often monstrous side, I can’t see him flashing it anytime soon.
Book this:
Perhaps my tales this week of doubting the path ahead, and how change requires stepping into the unknown has struck a chord… And if you’re wondering how you might plan and take the aligned action that serves your deeply held desires - then you might want to explore one-to-one coaching with me.
I’ve got two new spaces available for my Midlife MOT programme which is the perfect way to get out of your current hole of uncertainty, confusion and hesitancy. In just 3 months you’ll transform self-doubt into coherent, exciting and achievable action and confidently be making the lasting change you’ve been dreaming of for so long.
If you’re interested, book in for a FREE coaching session now - I don’t expect these spots to hang around!
Here’s the thing: so many of us get to a point in our lives - it can be midlife, it can be sooner - and find we’ve lost our way. Life events - a crisis, or a period of ongoing unease - make us realise that what previously worked to move the dial or overcome challenges no longer works.
So we panic! Surely we should have it all worked out ‘by now’ - right? “If I can’t sort myself out at this point of my life with all I’ve been through, then I’m a failure!”
But here’s the thing: struggling alone is not the answer.
We need a new roadmap when we hit midlife, or come to that point where just rearranging the pieces of our life will no longer cut it. And we can’t build that roadmap alone - because we need to create and curate a new identity that sets us up for building the life that’s truly ours. We need to embark on genuine transformation - we need a Midlife MOT and we need a guide to help us.
Now, I often speak to women who fear making big change - even when they know how deeply unhappy they are. Even whilst they are struggling and feeling overwhelmed. Why? Because they worry too much personal change will blow up their lives. But it doesn’t work like that! It’s not all or nothing, and you remain in charge. You change what you want to change, or what you understand you need to change. At a pace you decide.
So if you’ve an itch to reinvent yourself that’s ready to be scratched - know that you’re right on time. And that you too can create the new version of you and your life that you deeply desire - without collapsing your whole life.
So if you’re struggling with challenges and unable to take the next step - or even identify what that might be - might it be time to reach out for support?
Because life requires us to transform to truly thrive.
And if you’re feeling that what worked previously doesn’t seem to anymore - you’re right!
Here’s the thing: making that shift into your 2.0 version? It’s hard to do without tailored guidance. Because the maze of change a bugger to find our way out of alone.
And that’s where I can help. Because I’ve been there, and I’ve trained in a coaching modality that delivers the support and the powerful and fast results that will shift you into a whole new life and way of showing up.
It’s time to recalibrate to the life that aligns with who you are - and who you’re ready to become.
So why not click the button below, and book in for FREE with me?
Because when life drops bombs on us, working through the debris is hard - especially alone. Many of us are more disconnected from the help we need than we care to admit. Or, we believe we should be able to deal with everything alone - that needing help equals weakness.
Here’s the thing: that determination to struggle in silence? It’s keeping you stuck. It’s only in relationship with others that we can break free of old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us - because it’s impossible to see those patterns and beliefs ourselves, let alone know how to transform them!
When there’s a lot to navigate, or when you’re a long way from where you’d like to be, coaching is often the missing piece you didn’t know you needed.
I work with women who’ve spent years living by the rules, roles, or routines expected of them and are now asking: is this it? I help them reconnect with themselves, release guilt and uncertainty, and create a life that feels real, rich, and fully their own.
Whether you’ve built a career, cared for others, or simply kept going without stopping to ask what you really wanted, it’s time to finally put yourself at the centre of your own life.
Because you’ve done everything you were ‘supposed’ to - right? Yet something still feels off. I support women who are quietly questioning their life path so they can realign with their truth - including dreams that perhaps got lost along the way - and design the next chapter on their own terms.
So if you’re feeling emotionally exhausted, overlooked, or like you’ve lost yourself in the demands of life, working with me will enable you to reclaim your identity, expand into new possibility, create much needed boundaries, and finally make space for your own desires and ambitions.
Remember: needing help is ok and doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
So if you’re ready to commit to making REAL and lasting change, why not book a FREE Discovery session with me? Just click here and arrange a 45 minute slot. Together, we’ll explore your reinvention and how you might best achieve it.
In our short time together, I’ll help you:
Set our your vision
Get clear on what’s been holding you back
Get clear on the exact next steps you need to take
Discover if we’re a good fit to work together
What are you waiting for - let’s do this, and let’s get your 2025 on track!
Email wendy@dramafreeyou.com with any questions you don’t see answered at my website.
It’s time to transform your life - let’s do this!
That’s it for now - keep on reaching for your best self, and reaching out to those who might help you.
Because Drama belongs in the movies, not in your life.
Until next time,
Wendy