The Fall Reset: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Fill Your Calendar Again

I’m in mourning. September 15th marks the final launch of The Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets planners. For the last 7 years I have used a PowerSheets yearly goal planner and even expanded into other products such as their Season by Season daily planner, Brain Dump Journal and a variety of goal-oriented notepads. Whether you’re a planner devotee, a HomeGoods’ planner junkie, or like to free-spirit your way through life, fall is a great time to hit the reset button. 

I know that September is not January, but can you feel the motivation to ramp it up before the end of the year? It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a deadline is looming. Out of curiosity does anyone else feel like life is stuck in 2x speed? Sometimes I wish I could go through life at half speed so I could actually stop and smell the flowers or perhaps, more apropos, walk through a pumpkin patch.

Many times our best intentions and careful planning fall flat because our behaviors don’t reflect our core beliefs. If you’re nodding your head in agreement, then this short 16 min podcast may be the remedy to your calendaring woes and where you may want to start first.

The Belief–Behavior Gap: Why You Feel Out of Alignment (and How to Get Back on Track)
Maximized Minimalist Podcast

Now, for the 7 questions to ask yourself before you begin filling out your calendar this season.

1. What do I want more of in this season?
Not what needs to get done—what would make life feel richer? More time with people you love? Creativity? Movement? Rest? Prayer? Hospitality? Meaningful work? Starting here shifts the reset from productivity to intentionality.

2. What do I need less of?
What has been consuming time, energy or attention without a high ROI? This could be overscheduling, scrolling, unnecessary obligations, comparison, clutter or simply saying yes too often.

3. What is working in my life that I don’t want to lose?
A reset doesn’t have to mean reinventing everything. Maybe summer brought morning walks, slower dinners, reading before bed or more time outside. What is working well and worth carrying forward?

4. What deserves my best energy right now?
There will always be more opportunities than capacity. What matters most in this particular season—family, health, building something, friendships, faith, a relationship, a project?

“What could I do?” versus “What am I called to give my attention to right now?”

5. What am I saying yes to simply because I feel like I should?
Some commitments come from conviction; others come from expectation, comparison or guilt.

6. Where could I make room for people?

Rather than thinking only about meetings, appointments and activities when looking at a fall calendar, intentionally leave room for dinner with friends, coffee with someone who needs encouragement, inviting someone over or simply being available.

7. At the end of this season, what would make me say, “That was a good fall”?

Maybe the answer is launching something. Maybe it’s being present for your family. Maybe it’s strengthening your body. Maybe it’s reconnecting with God. Maybe it’s making new friends. Maybe it’s finally resting.

When you can answer that question, the calendar becomes much easier to edit.

Now, finish this sentence:

This fall, I want to make room for __________, __________ and __________.

Example: This fall, I want to make room for hosting friends more often, pursuing a creative idea, and getting outside every day.

Then:

Before you add anything else to your calendar, put those three things on it first.

You can make this season a little better by choosing what gets your attention. One of the themes of Cultivate What Matters is little by little, adds up to a lot. Habits compound, those intentional changes may seem small, but they will produce big dividends if you continue to rinse and repeat.

Maybe a reset isn’t about starting over. Maybe it’s simply making more room for what is good.

P.S. – If you’re reading this before February 2027, you still have time to snag a planner from Cultivate What Matters before they officially close their doors!