Back-to-School Business Reset: How to Reignite Your Goals, Plan with Intention & Finish the Year Strong
Hey girl, welcome back to the Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust space — where we talk passion, purpose, and sprinkling a whole lot of magic into your business and life. I’m Lindsay Dollinger: dog mama, Disney lover, marathon-in-training runner, and high school Spanish teacher who’s built multiple businesses while working full-time.
And today, we’re talking Back-to-School Season… but with a BUSINESS twist.
Even if you’re not a teacher, a parent, or someone with ties to the school year, there’s something about August and September that just feels like a reset button. Back-to-school season mirrors what so many of us need this time of year: a mindset shift, a fresh start, and a strategic check-in before fourth quarter sneaks up on us.
Let’s dive in. ✨
Listen in:
Why Back-to-School Season Is the Perfect Time for a Business Reset
Even if you’re not in an “education household,” the back-to-school energy is everywhere. Stores change, schedules tighten, routines return, and the collective mindset shifts from summer ease to structured focus.
That makes this the perfect time to:
✨ Re-evaluate your goals
✨ Reconnect with your “why”
✨ Look ahead to Q4
✨ Rebuild your routines
✨ Step into your CEO (and employee!) mindset
Why does this matter?
Because fourth quarter — October, November, December — is one of the highest-opportunity seasons for many businesses. Holiday shopping, seasonal launches, gifting, Black Friday, new-year planning…it all adds up.
But you don’t just trip and fall into a strong Q4.
You plan for it.
Start With a Mindset Check
Let’s get real. If you don’t hold responsibility for your goals, routines, and business growth…no one else will.
This is the perfect time to check in with yourself:
- What do you really want by the end of the year?
- What’s motivating you right now?
- Has your “why” shifted recently? (It often does!)
- What are the results you want to create in Q3 and Q4?
- What would “finishing strong” look like for you?
Your “why” isn’t cheesy — it’s clarity.
It’s direction.
It’s your fuel.
And in seasons of transition (like back-to-school), reconnecting with it matters more than ever.
Step Into BOTH Your CEO Mindset and Your Employee Mindset
I know, I know — everyone online is yelling “Be the CEO of your business!”
And I love that energy.
But let me tell you what I heard recently from top network marketer Jesse Lee Ward that completely shifted things for me:
“To be successful in your business, you must also show up like an employee.”
Yes, CEO you sets the vision.
But employee you executes the vision.
CEO energy gets you dreaming.
Employee energy gets you moving.
So as the school year begins, ask yourself:
- What are my “must complete” tasks each week?
- What deadlines am I setting?
- What am I treating like a non-negotiable?
- What structure supports me best right now?
A CEO can decide the destination.
But an employee gets in the car, turns the keys, and drives.
You need both.
Map Out the Rest of the Year (My Favorite Planning Exercise!)
Here’s one of the simplest, most powerful planning tools I use:
Grab a sheet of paper and write the remaining months of the year:
August • September • October • November • December
Under each month, do a brain dump of:
- Family commitments
- Personal events
- Travel
- Trainings or conferences
- Holidays
- Launches
- Content ideas
- Business tasks
- Big goals
This gives you a 10,000-foot “airplane view” of your year — something my friend Brittany Sterling calls stepping into your big-picture CEO mode.
For example:
- In August, I’m launching my mastermind (and also battling bronchitis).
- In September, I’m hosting a retreat in Northern Kentucky.
- In December, I’ll be in Madrid training teachers — so I already know most of my business activity must happen in early December.
See how this helps?
You can’t plan intentionally when you don’t see the full picture.
Plan Your Schedule Around Your Real Life (Not Your Ideal One)
This is where so many women sabotage their goals:
They plan based on fantasy, not reality.
Your weekly schedule is about to shift — whether that’s because of school routines, earlier bedtimes, sports practices, or the shift into a more structured season.
So map out your new routine with honesty:
- What days are “business heavy” days?
- What days are “no work” days?
- When are you intentionally scheduling rest?
- When is your workout time?
- Where can you fit in content creation?
- When will you engage on social media?
For me, I’m also training for a marathon. That means:
- Some nights are for running — NOT for business.
- Weekends include long runs that take half a day or more.
- I already know my October and December weekends are booked with mileage.
So I don’t pretend I’m going to work huge hours on those days.
This is the key to consistency:
Decide ahead of time so you don’t have to rely on motivation later.
Choose Your One Thing
If you take nothing else from this blog, take this:
Your business grows faster when you focus on ONE thing at a time.
Right now, my one thing is launching and serving the women in my mastermind.
Yours might be:
- Getting your next five clients
- Launching a podcast
- Focusing on one offer
- Growing your email list
- Building systems
- Creating consistent content
Whatever your one thing is…
Make it your north star for the next several months.
Everything else is extra pixie dust.
Final Thoughts: Back-to-School Season Is a Reset — Use It Wisely
As we transition into this new season, I want you to remember:
✨ Planning creates freedom.
✨ Structure creates results.
✨ Intention creates momentum.
✨ And YOU create your magic.
Set your goals.
Map your season.
Choose your one thing.
Plan for the life (and business) you want.
You’ve got this.
And if you need the support, structure, accountability, and magic to make it happen…
You know where to find me. 💖
Now go out there, create and own your magic, and share this with a girlfriend who needs a little back-to-school inspo today.