Siobhan, hello and welcome to the aligned achiever podcast.

I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, and today we’re talking about how to finish the year strong without losing your sanity. And we’ll speak to some of the q4 strategies for you as a busy woman.

Now at the time of recording, and as this is going live. It’s the end of September 2025 and I don’t know about you, but I know for me, I’ve been thinking about how to finish this year strong without losing my sanity, because let’s be real. Q4, is here, and for most busy professional women, the calendar is already bursting at the seams between work deadlines, family commitments, kids activities and the holiday chaos that will eventually creep in.

It’s easy to feel like the last few months of the year are all about survival and getting through but I don’t want you to just survive. Q4 I’m inviting you to actually use this time to set yourself up for an incredible 2026 while keeping your peace of mind intact. How does that sound to you? I know that’s what I’m trying to do for myself this quarter. And if it sounds like a dream, stick with me, because by the end of this episode, you’re going to walk away with some strategies that can help you to navigate q4 and all the things you’ve got to get done, finish the year strong, stay grounded and really set the stage for 2026.

Q4 is a busy season, and I think this is the case for most of us, no matter whether We’re in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere, chances are you’ve got year end projects, piling up holiday plans to coordinate, and that nagging feeling that there’s just not enough time to get it all done.

Maybe you’ve already promised yourself like, oh, this year, next year is going to be better. I’m going to make sure I’m doing all the things. But deep down, you’re wondering how to make that actually happen when life feels this overwhelming. Here’s the thing, the end of the year doesn’t have to be about running yourself ragged. In fact, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect and take a few intentional steps that can completely shift how you move into the new year.

I know that seems like ages away, but finishing this quarter strong, being prepared will really help you to have the clarity and the peace of mind to know what next year is about. And the best part about it is that it doesn’t require a massive overhaul of your life. It’s really about small, meaningful shifts that make a big impact.

Now for me, q4 is going to be big. I’ve got a lot of things on the go. I’ve got my own projects, and I’m also collaborating with my business partner Elaine champion on something really exciting. So more on that to come soon. But all of this to say, there is a lot happening, right?

There’s in and amongst all the work stuff, there’s my three kids who are really ramping up their rugby and netball seasons and swimming practices and all the things that they do. And there’s also my own health goals that I want to get to the gym. I want to get get healthy. I want to get strong. So I’m with you in this swirl of all the busyness. And you know, this episode is really inspired by my accountability to you as well, to stay on track and really support you know you support myself. To make Q for a quarter that feels really meaningful and impactful. To end 2025 on and look, if you’re listening to this podcast episode in the future, and 2025 is a little bit like in the past, just know that the same principles are going to apply no matter when you’re hitting reset on on the next quarter, in the next 90 days.

So here’s the first strategy, I think that’s going to be really helpful for us to begin with, and that is with clarifying what matters most. Here’s a truth bomb, not everything on your to do list is equally important. I know it feels like it is when everything is a priority, but the truth is, nothing is. And actually, I heard the other day that priority, if you look back to the original root Latin of the word priority, it actually means to cut away of away from and to focus on the one thing. So we have somehow made that plural and focus on our priorities, but actually it should just be the one thing. So right now, I want you to take a step back and ask yourself, what absolutely has to get done before the end of the year?

Absolutely no questions asked has to get done. So maybe it is a certain project, maybe it is a certain milestone, right? So for me, what absolutely has to get done before the end of the year is I have to have a certain migration achieved with a one of my programs. What absolutely has to get done by this year is a particular. La, launch of a program that I’m going to be running. What absolutely has to get done by the end of this year is, you know, not necessarily a project, but making sure that my children get to all of their activities that they need for this their sporting season.

Second question, what can wait right? What is something that you might delegate or something that doesn’t have to happen this year? This year. So for me, my husband and I have been talking about renovating our kitchen for the longest time. That is absolutely something I would love to get done by the end of this year. But does it have to get done? Probably not.

So I’m going to see what progress we can make, but not sweat it if it doesn’t make it into 2025 What is it for you? What can wait and thirdly, most importantly, what’s no longer serving you?

Like, what is the thing that you want to take off your plate, stop doing not have as a goal, like giving yourself the permission just to say, Nope, not going to do that. So what’s no longer serving me is, I have had on my goals list the desire to do something creative or artistic once a quarter, and I’m embarrassed to say that it just hasn’t eventuated.

This year, it’s coming into q4 and I haven’t done it. You know, I said that I might go to a dance class or an art class or a pottery class, and I’m going to give myself the grace to say, you know, what, if I get to it this quarter, great. And if not, it’s okay. It doesn’t have to, it doesn’t have to be there. And it’s no longer serving me to beat myself up about it, for not having that goal achieved. Like, that’s a really small example.

But what is it for you? What is it that you’ve said you are going to do or you’re going to start doing that? You can just give yourself the grace to say, You know what? That’s not going to matter in q4 give yourself the grace to do that.

Another thing that might not might be serving you is negative self talk, or holding yourself back or stopping having a conversation that you know you need to have. What is it that’s no longer serving you that you need to cut away from give yourself permission to let go of the things that don’t align with your bigger goals?

Maybe it’s saying no to that extra work project, or scaling back on holiday commitments.

The goal here is to focus on the 20% of the tasks that are going to give you 80% of the results and let the rest fall away.

Clarify what matters most. Now, if you’re somebody who’s like, you know what matters most is actually giving myself some space and time to think about my career next year, where I want to go.

What’s next? I have recorded a private podcast series called the pivot with purpose playbook where I share practical insights to help you find a career path that feels successful and sustainable. So if you’re interested in diving into that private podcast series to understand with a bit more depth how you can pivot with purpose, then I’ll pop a link to that in the show notes over at Siobhan barnes.com/139, that’s the number 139, and you can listen to that in that private Podcast Series.

I’m going to talk you through why success feels empty, even when you’ve done everything right. In Episode Two, I’ll talk you through how to know what’s really keeping you stuck.

So you can answer that question of, should you pivot or should you stay?

In episode three, I’ll talk you through the five steps to redesign your career without starting over. In episode four, we’ll talk through how to step into leadership without burning out.

In the final episode, you’ll learn about your next chapter and how to build a career that lasts.

So if that’s something that’s on your horizon, something you’re thinking about, then make sure you download and access that private podcast to get all of the goods so that you can start percolating this for your 2026.

Okay, now, once you’ve had the ability to clarify what matters most, the second thing I want you to do, Step number two, is block out some non negotiable time for you over the next quarter.

I know you’re probably resisting this and going, I’m so busy, but even in the chaos, it’s really crucial to carve out the time to recharge and reflect. So the purpose of having non negotiable time for you is to fill up your tank, like restoring your battery, recharging yourself.

So this could be as simple as taking 30 minutes on a Sunday to plan your week, having 15 minutes in the morning to journal or meditate, or even having the habit of a quick walk outside to clear your head at the end of the day.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a daily thing. It could be something you do once a week, once a month, when you schedule time for yourself, you are not being selfish. You’re being strategic. You’re being intentional with how to give back some energy to yourself so that you can then have the energy, the momentum, the the propulsion.

Decision to go and do all the things you need to get done in q4 because when you’re running on empty, it’s impossible to show up as your best self for the people and the projects that matter most. And honestly, I’m recording this now because my intention is to support you to come into the festive season in December without like, being a puddle on the floor. Sure, you might be a bit exhausted, you might be a bit like running on empty, but to be in a place where you’re like, I achieved those goals that I that really mattered, I’m really proud of myself. Yes, I’m a bit tired, but I’m I’ve restored a little bit enough to be able to really enjoy this holiday season.

So that’s why I’m talking about blocking out non negotiable time for me, that’s going to look like planning on a Sunday, 30 minutes to plan my week. I like to do that, but it’s also going to look like potentially a little bit more with, you know, making sure that I get a massage once a month. It’s going to be a really busy month, and I know that I can hold a lot of tension in my body, so I’m giving myself permission to say, You know what? I’m going to allow myself to do that, also blocking out some non negotiable time to go and see one of my best friends.

It’s a really important thing for me, and I’m going to make sure I go and do that and fully enjoy that. So that’s strategy number two, block out some non negotiable time.

Final strategy, I want you to set one intentional goal for 2026 No, I know you’re like, oh my gosh, this is not a priority. Why would I be thinking about 2026 I know it feels early January 1 is going to come, whether you’re ready or not. And the women who thrive aren’t the ones who wait for the new year to think about it. They’re the ones who are starting to lay the groundwork now.

So if you think about, in 2026 what is that one professional, one personal goal that you have next year, and you just, I’m not saying you have to, like, set it in stone, and it’s like your sole contract to do next year, but you need to think about it. And then from there, think about, okay, what’s the one thing I can do in q4 to make 2026 easier, more aligned, more fulfilling whatever it is.

So for you, maybe it’s about creating a system to streamline your work. Maybe it’s delegating a task that you’ve been holding onto for too long. Or maybe it’s simply saying no more often so that you can say yes to what truly matters for me in 2026 I have a intentional goal around my work. There are a couple of projects, big projects, that I have on my plate, and again, I’ll share more with you very soon. Still a lot happening inside and behind the scenes, but I have a goal to launch a particular program, and would love to have a successful run through of that experience.

That’s kind of one of my professional goals. And then personally, I have a real desire in a specific, a specific personal area of my life, again, bit too early and a bit too sensitive to share at this point, but that’s something that’s coming up for me, and something that I can do in q4 to make my 2026 easier for both of those things, actually is to get much clearer, much tighter on my project management system, how I am keeping myself on track for all of my different projects.

Because I’ll be honest, a lot of it lives in my brain, and my brain is forgetting things regularly. So I need a better system. So I know that that’s gonna take a little bit time to set up. It’s gonna be a bit annoying, but I need something to check into to make sure I’m not letting things fall through the cracks.

So there you have it. Those are three strategies, three steps that will support you to map out your queue for number one, clarify what matters most.

Number two, block out that non negotiable time.

Number three, set that intentional goal for 2026 and ask what the one thing is you can do in the next quarter to make next year easier.

Now I know these strategies might sound simple, but I also know that implementing them in the midst of q4 can feel really overwhelming, so that’s why it’s really important to start small. You don’t have to do it all overnight. Even the tiniest intentional shifts can create ripple effects that will transform how you end this year and start the next so as I mentioned before, if you’re ready to go even deeper, you can check out what I created very special just for you, that private podcast series, the pivot with purpose playbook.

It’s a five part guided audio series that will help you really support you with what’s next, and actually will help you to step into 2026 with that clarity and confidence. It’s going to get you thinking about what to do next, and it’s really the real talk that you need to make purposeful, bold moves, even in the midst of your busiest seasons. And I’ll walk you through every single step of the process to access the private series, all you have to do is click in the link in the show notes, Siobhan barnes.com, forward slash 139 and you’ll find the link to sign up.

Trust me, you don’t want to miss this. If you have friends, colleagues, family that you think will benefit, please share it along. The more the merrier.

I really want to support more women to step and pivot into a greater sense of fulfillment, financial security next year. And so the more that more of us that do this, the better. But remember, you don’t have to wait for a new year to start fresh. You can take control, even in the chaos of q4 and set yourself up for success right now. And q4 doesn’t have to be super hectic. You can enjoy it along the way.

So take a deep breath, give yourself some grace and start small. You have absolutely got this, and I’m here to help with you every single step of the way until next time. Stay aligned, stay purposeful. I’ll see you inside the private podcast series if you register and remember you are here for a reason beyond merely hustling, grinding and merely surviving, you matter.