October Business Reset: The ABC Method for Reviewing Your Work, Challenging Busy-Mode, and Building Better Connections
Prefer to listen than read? Click here for the podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-seasonal-shift/id6811921786
If your business feels a little overloaded right now, October is a good time to pause and look at what’s actually happening. Not everything in your diary deserves to stay there, and not every gap needs to be filled. In this month’s seasonal business check-in, Sarah shares a simple framework built around one action, one belief, and one connection
This month looks at a practical way to step back, review your workload, question the ‘must be busy’ mindset, and strengthen the support network around you. If you’ve been wondering what to keep, what to let go, and where to focus your energy next, this post will help you think it through.
Why October Is the Perfect Time for a Business Review
Autumn is a natural season of reflection. In nature, growth slows, resources are gathered, and energy gets redirected toward survival and preparation. That rhythm makes October a smart time to do the same in your business. Instead of pushing harder just because you can, this is the moment to ask whether your current workload still matches the business you actually want. Are you spending time on clients, services, and tasks that energise you—or are you keeping them because they’ve always been there? This matters because a business can become busy in all the wrong ways. You may be working hard, but not necessarily working in the direction you want.[IMAGE: Autumn desk scene with a notebook, calendar, and mug – representing a seasonal business review]
What “review” really means: A proper review is not about panic or drastic change. It’s about honest observation. Look at your diary, client list, workload, and recurring commitments. Then ask:
- Which clients do you genuinely enjoy working with?
- Which work is profitable and enjoyable, and which is profitable but draining?
- What have you kept doing simply because it became routine?
The goal here is clarity. You do not have to end everything immediately. You just need to notice what belongs in your next phase and what may have outlived its usefulness.
The simple question that changes the whole review
Sarah’s key question is this:
What would you have more time for if you stopped doing the unnecessary stuff?
That question matters because it shifts the focus from what you’re giving up to what you’re making space for. More room for ideal clients. More room for strategic thinking. More room for work that feels aligned with your strengths. And importantly, more room for rest.
The “Action” in the ABC Method: Review Your Clients and Commitments
The first part of the ABC approach is an action you can take right away: review your client list, work commitments, and diary with complete honesty. This is where many business owners discover something uncomfortable. Some of the work they’re doing is not really the work they want to keep doing. It may bring in income, but it also takes more energy than it gives back. Rank your work by profitability and pleasure One useful way to make the review easier is to rank your clients and tasks using two simple questions:
- How profitable is this work?
- How enjoyable is this work?
That combination helps you see the difference between work that supports your business and work that merely fills your calendar. You might find:
- Some clients are highly profitable and genuinely enjoyable
- Some are profitable but exhausting
- Some are pleasant but not financially worth the time
- Some are neither profitable nor enjoyable
That middle group is often the most revealing. It’s easy to keep saying yes to work that feels ‘fine,’ especially if you’re worried about the next month’s income. But over time, “fine” can quietly become draining.
Why this review matters before you make any changes You do not need to make immediate decisions from this exercise. Awareness comes first. If you continue filling your time with clients or tasks that drain you, you are leaving less room for the work you actually want. That includes better-fit clients, more meaningful projects, and a business structure that feels sustainable. This is especially important if you work solo. When you’re the whole business, your calendar becomes a direct reflection of your priorities. If the diary is full of misaligned work, your energy follows.[INTERNAL LINK: A related post on setting boundaries with clients or creating a more sustainable work schedule]A realistic way to use this exercise Try this in three steps:
- Open your diary or calendar.
- List your current clients, projects, and regular commitments.
- Mark each one as energising, neutral, or draining.
You may be surprised at how much clarity comes from such a simple exercise. Once you see the pattern, the next decisions become easier.
The Belief to Challenge: Busy Does Not Automatically Mean Successful
Sarah challenges a belief many business owners carry without questioning it: you have to be constantly busy to be successful
That idea is everywhere, especially in industries where people equate visible effort with achievement. But constant busyness is not the same as progress. In fact, it can be a fast route to burnout. Where the “always busy” belief comes from lot of people absorb this idea from the culture around them. If everyone seems to be hustling, filling every hour, and chasing the next opportunity, it’s easy to assume that’s what success looks like. But ask yourself: whose definition of success is that? Is it yours? Or is it borrowed from your industry, your peers, or the pressure to always appear productive? That question is important because borrowed beliefs often shape your behavior without your permission. You may keep saying yes, keep learning, keep adding services, and keep chasing new clients not because it’s strategic, but because stillness feels uncomfortable. What happens when you never stop If you never create space, you never get the chance to reflect on what’s working. That means:
- You can’t easily see which clients or offers are worth keeping
- You don’t notice where your time is leaking away
- You struggle to make strategic decisions because everything is urgent
- You risk confusing movement with momentum
Sarah makes a strong point here: a week, a day, or even a small stretch of time spent reflecting can be far more valuable than chasing one more client. That doesn’t mean you stop caring about growth. It means growth becomes intentional instead of reactive.
What success could look like instead For some people, success means a full calendar. For others, it means a reliable income with room to breathe. For others, it means having time for family, health, creativity, or simply a less frantic pace. The point is not to reject ambition. The point is to define success for yourself. Once you know what success means to you, you can start building a business that supports it. That may mean fewer clients, a different service mix, clearer boundaries, or a more seasonal way of working.
The Connection Piece: Build a Support Network Before You Need One
The final part of the ABC method is connection, and this might be the most overlooked part of sustainable business growth. When you work for yourself, it’s easy to become isolated. You make decisions alone, solve problems alone, and second-guess yourself alone. That’s why a strong support network matters so much. Why connection is part of strategy, not just nice-to-have Sarah suggests thinking about your network the way animals prepare for winter—gathering what they need in advance. In business terms, that means building relationships before you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain. Your network can include:
- Family and friends
- Peers in your industry
- People in other industries
- Coaches and mentors
- Accountants, advisors, and specialists
- Trusted people who will tell you the truth
A good network does more than make you feel less alone. It helps you think better. Sometimes you just need someone to listen. Sometimes you need someone to validate an idea. Sometimes you need someone to tell you the idea is not as good as you think it is. All of those roles are valuable. The spider diagram exercise Sarah suggests mapping your support network visually. Put yourself in the centre of a page and draw lines outward to the people who support you. Then add names under different categories: family, friends, colleagues, professionals, mentors, and practical support. This exercise can reveal gaps you didn’t realize were there. Ask yourself:
- Who do you talk to when you’re stuck?
- Who helps you think clearly?
- Who nudges you forward?
- Who tells you to stop overthinking and act?
The answers matter because no business is built well in isolation.
Make one meaningful connection this month The challenge is simple: make one meaningful connection with no expectation of a sale, referral, or return. That could mean reaching out to someone on social media, introducing yourself at a networking event, or reconnecting with someone you already admire. The point is not to extract value immediately. The point is to begin a relationship that could matter later. And if you’re hesitating because you might get rejected, Sarah’s advice is blunt and useful: so, what? The worst-case scenario is that someone says no. The best-case scenario is that you start a conversation that leads to support, collaboration, advice, or opportunity.
Your October ABC Checklist
If you want to put this into practice quickly, use this simple checklist:
- Review your client and work list
- Identify what energizes you and what drains you.
- Challenge the busy belief
- Notice when you feel panicked by a gap in your schedule.
- Ask what success means to you
- Make sure your definition is actually yours.
- Map your support network
- See who’s already in your corner and where the gaps are.
- Make one meaningful connection
- Reach out without expecting anything back right away.
This is a small framework, but it can create a lot of clarity. And clarity is often the first step toward a more sustainable business.
Recap:
October is a useful moment to step back, review your workload, challenge the idea that constant busyness equals success, and strengthen the people around you.
Why it matters:
When you make space for reflection and connection, you create room for better decisions, better clients, and a more sustainable business.
Next step:
Take one part of the ABC method and do it this week—review, challenge, or connect.
CTA:
Want to go deeper? Listen to the full seasonal shift conversation with Sarah and follow along for the monthly ABC. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2650572/episodes/19939736
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