Let me ask you something – have you ever looked up, realized it’s September, and thought: “Wait a second… wasn’t it just January? Where did the year go?”
I hear this all the time from executives and have thought it myself.
You’ve been buried in meetings, racing through emails, putting out fires… and suddenly another quarter, another year, has slipped by.
And instead of being proactive, you feel reactive – drifting instead of driving.
Today, I want to talk about what happens when you don’t hit pause, and how a September reset can help you get intentional again – with your career, your health, and your life outside of work.
And I’ll also share something new I’m offering this fall that’s designed to help you do exactly that.
The Executive Drift Problem
You may be a master of productivity – but are you a master of intentionality?
- You answer 200 emails a day, but do you have time for strategy?
- You go from meeting to meeting, but does your big-picture vision keep getting pushed off?
- Do you think you’ll work on balance later – but later never comes?
The danger? Drifting.
When you’re not intentional, the years slip by. You burn out. Your career plateaus. And the things that matter most – your health, your family, your joy – quietly erode in the
background.
Let me give you a few examples.
- You meant to start that strategic initiative in Q1. Now it’s September, and you’re telling yourself, “I’ll push it to next year.”
- You promised your family you’d protect evenings or weekends. But emails and projects creep in, and the boundary keeps moving.
- You told yourself you’d get healthier, maybe start exercising again. But the only consistent movement you’ve had is from your desk to the coffee machine.
Sound familiar? That’s what drifting looks like. You’re not making bad decisions. You’re just not making intentional ones. And when you’re not intentional, the urgent always wins – and the important always loses.
The Cost of Not Resetting
I’ll be blunt: if nothing changes, nothing changes.
- You don’t suddenly wake up strategic.
- You don’t magically find hobbies or balance.
- And your career doesn’t grow just because you’re busy.
The cost of not resetting isn’t just stress – it’s stalled leadership, strained relationships, and lost opportunities.
Here’s the part no one talks about: drifting doesn’t just waste time. It erodes your leadership.
- You get labeled as tactical instead of strategic.
- You plateau in your career while others – maybe less talented, but more intentional – move ahead.
- And at home? Your kids, your spouse, your friends… they start to get the leftovers of your energy instead of the best of you.
You’ve probably heard people say “I didn’t notice I was burning out until it hit me like a wall.” Or, “I thought I had more time with my family… until I realized years had gone by and I’d missed things I can’t get back.”
That’s the true cost of not resetting.
Why September is the Perfect Reset
But there’s good news: September is a natural reset point.
Kids go back to school, routines shift, businesses ramp up after summer. The weather changes, the pace changes.
You’ve got four months left in the year. Four months is enough time to make meaningful progress. To refocus on your health. To invest in relationships. To set a strategic foundation for next year.
Or, you can let the next four months slip away in a blur of back-to-back meetings, holiday busyness, and inbox overload – and find yourself in January saying, “This year will be different.”
But here’s the kicker: nothing will be different unless you are.
It’s the perfect time to stop drifting and take control again. Just imagine how great it will be to start off the new year already dialed in on your goals for the new year. Instead of waiting until January to start new routines and habits, start now and you position yourself to crush next year.
Here’s what I know: no one drifts their way into a better career, a healthier body, or a more meaningful life. You don’t stumble into balance or strategy by accident.
You have to choose it. You have to create it.
And if you don’t hit reset now, September will slip into October, into November, into December… and you’ll be right back at New Year’s making the same promises to yourself.
If nothing changes, well, nothing changes.
Executive Reset Workshop
That’s why I created The Executive Reset Workshop – a full-day, high-impact experience where you’ll:
✔️ Recommit to what matters most
✔️ Create space for strategy, balance, and yes, even hobbies again
✔️ Build your 10-year vision with 1, 3, and 5-year milestones
And that’s why this reset is so powerful: we don’t just look at the next 12 months. You’ll step back and look at the next 10 years.
Why? Because when you only set one-year goals, you end up living year to year. It’s like running on a treadmill – you’re moving, but you’re not really going anywhere. Every December you say, “Okay, let’s try again.”
But when you zoom out to a 10-year vision, suddenly the pieces click into place. You can see the big picture – the career you want, the life you want, the balance you want. And then, instead of asking “what can I cram into next year?” you start asking, “what’s the next step that moves me toward that 10-year vision?”
That shift changes everything. It gives meaning to the next 12 months, instead of just making another to-do list.
Think about it like building a house. If you only plan one year at a time, it’s like showing up with lumber and nails but no blueprint. You might get some walls up, but at the end of the year you’re not sure if it’s even the house you wanted.
A 10-year vision is the blueprint. It doesn’t mean you know every detail – but you know the shape, the design, and the direction. Then each year becomes a building block toward that bigger vision.
And if that feels a little overwhelming, if you’re thinking Kristen I’m not sure what next year will bring, let alone 10 years from now – don’t worry. I have a framework that will walk you through the process step by step.
And because I know accountability is where most plans fall apart, I’ve added two private 1:1 coaching sessions after the workshop to make sure your reset sticks.
This isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about clearing space so you can finally lead – and live – with intention.
Spots are limited, because accountability works best when it’s personal.
If you’ve been thinking, “I’ll reset someday,” this is your sign. Click the link in the show notes or DM me on LinkedIn to get more details.
Weekly Challenge
This week’s challenge, besides of course signing up for my workshop:
Take 15 minutes – yes, just 15 minutes – to sit somewhere quiet and ask yourself:
- What’s one area of your life where you feel like your drifting?
- And what’s one small step you could take this week to start steering again?
Write it down. And if you’re serious about a full reset, join me in the workshop.
Until then keep leading, keep growing, and keep striving for that next higher version of yourself.
