This week I've been preparing and packing for the fall road trip of my dreams and beyond doing the basic stuff you do for a trip -- like last minute Target runs and lots of laundry -- I've also been doing alllll the house chores.

 

 

This happens almost every time I’m traveling for an extended amount of time.

 

Like truly, if I want to be my MOST productive self, I should book a trip. (Maybe you should too?)

 

This week as I was checking things off my life to-do list and actually completing tasks that I’ve been putting off for weeks (like dropping things off at Goodwill – WHY does that bag always sit in my trunk for so long?!), I was wondering why this happens. 🤔

 

 

Google told me that this tends to happen due to the “deadline effect.”

 

There’s an added pressure to complete all of your tasks before you leave and it feels SO good to “clear the deck” before taking time off so that there’s nothing looming in your brain while you’re away.

 

Not to mention, the heightened sense of motivation that you often feel right before a vacation. 

 

 

Your mind is set on those things, but in order to FULLY enjoy them you’ve gotta get some things done at home first!

 

 

Q4 – October, November, and December – is that treasured time right before the new year which is naturally when you’re going to start reflecting and setting new goals for yourself.

 

And even though Q4 is often a busy time of year for most of us – between the holidays, regular life things, work things, and everything in between – it’s also often that time where we’re racing against the clock to do all of the things that we want to do before the year ends.

 

 

I don’t know what was on your specific goal list for 2024 when it comes to your business, but I do know that you still have time to make those things happen!

 

It’s that week-before-vacation energy that makes you feel so insanely productive and accomplished. ⚡️

 

So, if you’re like me and are planning to use Q4 to mark all the things off that you’ve maybbbeeee been procrastinating this year AND set yourself for a solid start in January, I’ve got a checklist of sorts to help you out!

My Q4 To-Do List

4 Things I Do At The Beginning of Every Quarter

 

I recently did this with The Writer’s Room during our Quarterly Blog Content Planning Party, so I know EXACTLY what content I need to create for the rest of the year. 

 

During that planning session, not only did I map out blog posts for Q4, but I also took into consideration newsletter and social media topics that I didn’t want to forget about!

 

For Q4 specifically, there's a lot of holidays that you can capitalize on for your content, so taking the time to batch plan can ensure that you’re being as strategic as possible with your content!

 

 

 

You know that lead magnet you created when you first launched your email list? Yeah, well… chances are it needs some updating. Or maybe it needs to be deleted altogether?

 

This is a task that’s SO EASY to become a backburner item and Q4 is the perfect time to tackle it. 

 

Whether you need to refresh the lead magnent itself or update the email copy that’s attached to it, the point is that you’re taking the time to make sure your freebies and resources are still valuable, relevant, and aligned with your brand as a whole!

 

 

I recently told my Writer’s Room members that sometimes you don’t need to create NEW content for your blog, but instead you need to update your EXISTING content so that it’s as relevant and valuable as possible. 

 

If you like to limit your workload (or even take time off) in Q4, this is the perfect way to do it! 

 

 

 

Speaking of Miss Google, Q4 is the perfect time to revisit your SEO strategy!

 

SEO research can be time consuming and it can be one of those things that’s hard to fit into your weekly routine among all the other things you have going on.

 

During the last few months of the year, you can carve out some intentional time to research what keywords you should be creating content for, dive into your current analytics, and even do some intentional learning to make sure that you’re staying on top of SEO the best you can.

 

 

 

 

Look, I started celebrating fall on August 1st. 🍂

I will start celebrating Christmas on November 1st. 🎄

Which means my new year is basically December 26th. 🥂 

 

I am who I am and I know I’m not alone, so if you don’t want to wait until January to start thinking about what you want the new year to look like, then start NOW!

 

New to my world? Let me catch you up!

 

I'm commonly referred to as the blog girlie and I teach a blogs first, socials second approach through everything I do. Currently, I'm primarily serving people through my co-collaborative writing membership, The Writer's Room – enrollment opens again in November and you can join the waitlist HERE!

 

Otherwise, you can binge the blog, browse my free resources, and follow along on Instagram for a closer look at my life BTS.