I don’t think there’s ever an age where September doesn’t bring with it some residual core memory telling you it’s the start of something new. It may no longer be the start of a new school year, the start of a new term, the start of a new set of exams – but it will remain the start of a new season in perpetuity. 

For me, September coincided with the end of one professional project and a gap before next one. And yet this fact doesn’t seem to have dampened that deep internal drive to get myself ready. Ready for what? I can’t be exactly sure. But I have been busying myself with a combination of admin, maintenance, and blue-sky Big Thinking. 

I like the neatness of this happening at the start of a new season; it feels cathartic. It channels me to think about the next four months more intentionally. What do I want from my Autumn? And how can I make it happen? 

Seasonal intentions

My friend and I spent a couple of years goal-setting and accountability buddy-ing each other. It was great to have someone to talk to about things that other friends and family may not have subscribed to in that level of granular detail. It wasn’t great when it slipped into a productivity pressure cooker. Instead of being uplifting and inspiring, it started to feel like another thing to do, on top of so many others. 

The best things I learnt from that time were: 

• Be realistic. Don’t decide you’re now all of a sudden going to go to the gym three times a week when you haven’t been for nine months. 
• Create manageable goals, so you can ‘win’ more. Decide to exercise once this week, and once next week. When you do it, it’s a ‘win’, and it makes you want to do it more. 
• Focus. Don’t spread yourself too thinly. Choose 1-3 key goals (that don’t have numerous sub-goals that come with them!) and keep mentally coming back to them throughout the season. 

My Autumn intentions

With that in mind, my intentions for Autumn 2026 are: 

1. Run once a week
   It doesn’t matter how long, how far, or how fast. The goal is to put on my running shoes, move my body slightly faster than a walk, and do this once a week. I’d like to try different times of the day too, to work out what works best for me.
2. No phone in the bedroom
   I’ve got into a dreadful habit of doomscrolling in bed and it doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve got plans and ideas that I need time and energy for, and this is the quickest way to get them both back.
3. Read a book
   Fiction or non-fiction, start and finish one book before December. It sounds easy, but I have fallen so far out of the rhythm of reading this is a (1) realistic (2) manageable (3) focussed goal.  

I (obviously) have other ideas bouncing around my brain that I’d like to add in to the mix, but I am going to take my own advice and prioritise these three things over all else for the season of Autumn. 

I like how they feed into each other: if I read a book at night instead of doom-scrolling, I’ll obviously wake up with a spring in my step ready to strap on my sports bra and take myself out for my morning run. 

Ideas for intentions

If these goals don’t suit you, or spark an idea, other areas that I’ve found very useful to pay attention to in the past include: 

• Friends & family. Spend more time with the people you love, who love you back. Can you add a daily phone call in to your routine? A weekly in-person meet up? 
• Relationship. Can you do anything differently this Autumn that would (pumpkin) spice things up? Are you stuck in a dead end and need a little motivation? Do you need to up your dating ante now cuffing season is behind us? 
• Physical health. Can you up your steps for the next few months? Join a gym? Start the day with squats? 
• Mental health. Have you been putting off booking in with a therapist? Could you do with some time off work? When was the last time you had a self-care day? 
• Environment. Are there boxes you’ve never unpacked since moving in? A charity shop run you’ve been putting off? Is it time to put the house on the market? 
• Hobbies & interests. Are you spending enough time pursuing creative projects? 
• Career. What would you love to make progress on before Christmas? 
• Education. When was the last time you booked a class? Learned a new skill? Read something non-fiction? 
• Financial. Could you cut down on takeaways? Is there a saving goal you could make some progress towards? Have you organised your pension? 

… some ideas to spark your own seasonal intentions. 

I’d love to know if you find this sort of planning helpful / fun / interesting, or if it puts the fear into you. 

Do you already plan or have people you speak to about your dreams who check in on your progress? 

Let me know in the comments, or on email: molly@living-intentionally.co.uk