Summer has a way of making everything feel a little less urgent.

There are trips, long weekends, summer Fridays, plans after work, and a general understanding that maybe not everything needs to happen right this second. Then September hits, everyone comes back, and suddenly work is moving at full speed again.

It can be a rough transition. You go from having one foot out the door to realizing the end of the year is coming, your calendar is filling up again, and all the things you pushed to “after summer” have officially become things you need to deal with now.

But I also think there’s another way to look at it.

September can be a reset.

You don’t need to completely reinvent the way you work. You probably just need to get back to a few habits that make you feel more focused, organized, and in control of what you’re doing.

So if you feel like you’ve lost some momentum over the summer, here’s your post-summer work reset.

Figure Out What Actually Matters

One of the easiest ways to feel overwhelmed at work is to treat everything like it has the same level of importance.

It doesn’t.

There are things you need to get done today, things that would be nice to get done today, and things that could probably sit there for another week without anything happening.

One thing I use is the Ivy Lee Method. At the beginning of the day, I write down the things I need to accomplish in order of importance. Whatever I don’t finish moves to the top of the next day’s list.

The important part isn’t necessarily the exact method. It’s forcing yourself to decide what actually matters.

Because work will constantly pull you in different directions. Someone Slacks you. Your boss needs something. Another person asks if you can “quickly” help with something. Suddenly it’s 5 p.m. and somehow you didn’t finish the three things you actually needed to do.

“Prioritization, getting the shit done that you actually have to get done is one of the hardest things.”

Learning to prioritize is also how you get better at saying no.

You don’t necessarily have to tell someone, “No, I’m not doing that.” You can say, “Absolutely, I can help with that once I finish this.”

Knowing your priorities gives you a reason to protect your time.

Start Keeping Track of Everything You Do

If you don’t already have one, create a running document of everything you accomplish at work.

Projects you worked on. Things you helped with. Results you contributed to. Responsibilities you took on. Links to presentations or documents you created. Anything that shows what you actually did.

It doesn’t need to be beautiful. It just needs to exist.

I’ve written more about this in Why You Should Keep Track of Your Accomplishments at Work because it’s one of those incredibly simple habits that can make performance reviews, raises, résumé updates, and eventually looking for another job much easier.

Instead of sitting there six months from now trying to remember everything you’ve done, you have it right in front of you.

And when it comes time to explain why you deserve a raise, you don’t have to rely on some vague feeling that you’ve been working hard. You have evidence.

“Having this running document will be incredibly helpful for you in everything you do at work.”

If you haven’t been doing it, start now. You can always work backward.

Understand How Your Company Actually Works

This is one of the biggest things I think people overlook.

Could you explain how your company makes money? Who its customers are? What its biggest goals are right now? What problems it’s trying to solve?

And, maybe most importantly, could you explain how your job contributes to any of that?

You don’t need to eat, sleep, and breathe the company you work for. Your job does not need to become your entire identity.

But you should understand the business.

The more you understand what the company values, the easier it becomes to understand what you should prioritize and where you can make yourself valuable.

Company priorities also change. What mattered a year ago might not be what matters now. That’s why this is something worth revisiting every few months.

The faster you figure out how you fit into the bigger picture, the easier it becomes to stand out for the things that actually matter. That’s also a big part of The Secret To Standing Out At Work. Being valuable at work often has a lot more to do with reliability, consistency, and understanding what people need from you than trying to be the loudest person in the room.

Learn How Your Boss Works

Every boss communicates differently.

Some want constant updates. Some don’t want to hear from you until something is finished. Some want a Slack message. Some want everything in your weekly one-on-one. Some will run that meeting themselves, and others will sit down and basically say, “So, what’s going on?”

Part of your job is figuring this out.

Pay attention to the questions your boss asks repeatedly. Notice what they want updates about. Figure out what they care about most.

Eventually, you should be able to walk into a meeting already anticipating what they’re going to ask.

You can say: here’s what I’m working on, here’s where things stand, here’s the biggest roadblock, and here’s where I need your opinion.

If you’re not sure what they want from you, ask.

“How can I best present what I’m working on to you?”

It’s a simple question, but figuring out how your boss works can completely change how effectively the two of you communicate.

Ask for Feedback Before Your Performance Review

You should never walk into a performance review having absolutely no idea what your boss is going to say.

If that happens, you probably haven’t been getting enough feedback throughout the year.

Start asking for it regularly.

You don’t need to turn every conversation into a formal review. Just get comfortable asking how you’re doing, what could be better, and where your boss thinks you should focus.

That’s not just my opinion. Indeed’s guide to asking for feedback at work recommends asking for feedback regularly rather than waiting for a formal evaluation, noting that it can help improve performance and professional development.

Then comes the harder part: don’t take all of it personally.

Feedback can feel personal because it’s about something you did. But try to treat it as information rather than a judgment of your ability.

“Take it seriously, not personally.”

The point is to understand what you can do differently so you can get better at your job.

Speak Up Earlier in Meetings

You were invited to the meeting for a reason.

It’s easy, especially when you’re early in your career, to convince yourself that everyone else knows more than you and therefore your opinion isn’t worth sharing.

But staying silent doesn’t help anyone understand what you bring to the table.

If you’re nervous about speaking, try saying something early.

It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. Agree with a point and explain why. Ask a question. Add a small observation.

Once you’ve spoken once, it becomes much easier to participate again.

If you wait 45 minutes for the perfect moment to say the perfect thing, the pressure just keeps building until the meeting ends and you’re wondering why you didn’t say anything.

Go early.

If you’re still figuring out how to navigate all of this early in your career, What Actually Matters at Your First Job? gets into why the way you show up, build your reputation, and contribute matters just as much as the actual work you produce.

Actually Talk to the People You Work With

Say hi to people.

It sounds ridiculously obvious, but this is something that becomes surprisingly easy to stop doing once you’ve been at a job for a while.

You log on, answer your emails, jump into meetings, finish your work, and log off.

Especially if you work remotely, make an effort to actually have conversations with people. Ask how they’re doing. Spend the first few minutes of a Zoom call talking about something other than the project you’re working on.

These little interactions are how you build actual relationships with the people around you.

They’re also what make work feel a little less like you’re sitting in front of a computer completing an endless series of tasks.

Relationships matter in your career. If you’ve spent months getting to know someone, there’s already trust there when you eventually need their help. Indeed also notes that asking for and offering help can foster a more collaborative environment and strengthen relationships between coworkers.

And beyond any career benefit, it’s just nicer to work somewhere where you actually know the people around you.

Stop Multitasking Through Every Meeting

Close Slack. Put your phone down. Stop answering emails while someone is talking to you.

I know this is difficult.

There’s always another notification sitting in the corner of your screen, and responding to it takes five seconds. But those five seconds turn into another message, another email, another tab, and suddenly you haven’t heard anything someone has said for the last three minutes.

It also feels terrible to be on the other side of it.

When you’re talking to someone and can clearly tell they’re doing something else, you immediately wonder why you’re even having the meeting.

There’s research behind this too. The American Psychological Association explains that switching repeatedly between tasks comes with cognitive costs and can make us less efficient, even when multitasking feels productive.

Try being completely present for one meeting.

Put yourself on Do Not Disturb. Make the meeting full screen. Don’t touch your phone.

See if you feel differently afterward.

You might realize that staying focused and present at work has less to do with finding some complicated productivity system and more to do with actually doing one thing at a time.

And Here’s The Thing

A work reset doesn’t mean waking up tomorrow as the world’s most productive employee.

Pick one thing.

Start your accomplishment document. Make tomorrow’s priority list. Ask your boss for feedback. Speak once at the beginning of your next meeting. Put your phone away during your next Zoom call.

Then see what happens.

Summer ending doesn’t mean you need to suddenly become obsessed with work again. But if you’ve lost some of your focus, September gives you a natural moment to find it again.

You don’t need an entirely new career strategy.

Sometimes you just need a reset.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get back into work mode after summer?

Start small. Reestablish your priorities, create a clear list of what actually needs to get done, and focus on rebuilding one productive habit at a time rather than trying to change everything immediately.

How can I be more productive at work?

Identify your highest-priority tasks and finish those before allowing smaller requests and distractions to take over your day. Reducing unnecessary multitasking can also make it easier to stay focused.

How do I stand out at work?

Understand what matters to your company and your boss, consistently follow through on important work, communicate clearly, and make your impact visible.

How often should I ask my boss for feedback?

Don’t wait until your annual performance review. Build feedback into your regular conversations with your boss so you have a clear idea of what’s working and what you could improve.

What should I track about my accomplishments at work?

Keep a running record of projects, responsibilities, measurable results, positive feedback, problems you solved, and anything else that demonstrates the value you’re contributing.