3 Rituals Saving My Sanity This September
September feels like drinking from a firehose—and if you’re a business-minded mom, I know you feel this.
It’s the month where everything comes back online at once. School. Sports. Open houses. Networking events. Fundraisers. Mailboxes stuffed with schedules. Group chats multiplying like gremlins. Somewhere in there we’re still running businesses and trying to feed people dinner.
In our house, Josh is coaching, the kids are playing all the sports, and we added a puppy to the mix—because clearly we like chaos. (Carl is very cute. Carl is also a land shark who hasn’t mastered sleeping in a crate yet.)
Also: why do all the birthday parties happen right now? My daughter’s been invited to a bunch lately, and I finally found my go-to gift that every kid is obsessed with—this bedazzling kit on Amazon. Saved me from the dreaded “quick Target run” multiple times this month. 🙌
So while I love a beautifully laid out routine in theory, what actually keeps me grounded this time of year are tiny rituals. Easy, flexible, repeatable little systems that keep the wheels turning when I’m tempted to scream into the void.
Here are three that are saving me this month:
1. Morning Brain Dumps 🧠
Before I check my phone or open my laptop, I do a messy, honest brain dump into my notebook.
Sometimes it’s a to-do list. Sometimes it’s a rant. Sometimes it’s a half-baked idea for a CoHo event. But getting it out of my head and onto paper clears just enough space to be productive without that buzzing, overwhelmed feeling all day.
It’s not fancy. It’s not color-coded. It’s usually written while I’m half-drinking coffee and yelling "DO YOU HAVE YOUR SHOES ON?" But it works.
2. Alexa, Be My Brain 🔔
I don’t trust myself to remember anything right now, so I let tech do the heavy lifting.
I’ve got Alexa reminders for everything:
Pick up the puppy’s water dish an hour before bedtime (he’s still potty training 😅)
Tell Nick to pack his water bottle for football
Move laundry to the dryer
Remind me that I’m driving So-and-So’s kid today as well
Is this glamorous productivity? No. But it’s realistic and it works. When I’m juggling work, kids, Carl, and my own goals, outsourcing the mental load to a device is a game-changer.
3. Working in Pockets of Time 🕓
This month, there are no uninterrupted mornings. There’s no five-hour deep work block. There is, however, a 30-minute stretch in the carpool lane—and I’m using it.
I work from my phone and knock out what I can:
Writing this newsletter
Replying to LinkedIn leads
Prepping content ideas for the CoHo franchise
If I wait for perfect conditions, nothing gets done. But if I redefine success as “one step forward during pickup line,” I can keep growing even in a season of chaos.
Final Thoughts: It’s a Season, Not a Failure
The most important thing I’m reminding myself this month? This is a season. It's supposed to feel intense—and it won't last forever.
I’m not behind. I’m not failing. I’m just living life in real time with a family, a business, and a golden retriever puppy trying to chew everything in sight.
If you're in the same boat, here’s your permission to let it be easy. Cut a corner. Drop a ball. Sit in your car with a cold coffee and call it “me time.”
You're doing great. And your September self doesn’t have to look like your June self. Or your Pinterest board. Or your favorite productivity influencer. She just has to make it through the week—and maybe even laugh along the way.