How I’m Clearing My Space, Getting Intentional About My Priorities, & Making Room For What God Has Next.

Fall is here, especially in Michigan.

I’ve talked about this before, but I’ll share it again, this was the season I thought I would hate the most. When I first thought about moving back to Michigan, one of the biggest things I assumed I would hate was watching the seasons change. I knew the cold was coming, and honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to it. I already know I’ll probably feel some kind of way when winter comes, but that’s a story for another day.

What’s so crazy is that the season I thought I would hate has actually been a season I’ve been loving. The cooler mornings and evenings. The mid to high 60s during the day. The sunshine. There’s something about it that has felt so peaceful.

God is so kind because I know it’s only His doing that instead of dreading fall, I’ve actually been enjoying it. The sun has been shining, and it has felt like God giving me a warm, comforting hug.

Normally, I like to plan for the seasons ahead of time. I like easing into a new season and getting myself together before it officially begins but this time was different. I was so focused on my fast and detox that I didn’t really get the chance to ease into fall the way I normally would. So, this past week and the next few weeks have become my preparation for the season ahead.

The fourth quarter of the year always seems to fly by, before you know it, 2027 will be here. I like to use the first week or two of a new season to get things straight. When I say “fall reset,” I don’t just mean buying candles, getting fall decor, and pulling out sweaters. Those things are fun, but for me, preparing for a new season is about getting my life in order.

I heard Mattie James talk about this idea, and it absolutely changed my approach to preparing for a new season. Instead of trying to prioritize everything, I started thinking about what actually matters most and what I need to do to support those priorities.

So, here are the 10 things I’m doing to prepare for this new season.

1. Clean Your Space

Before you can clear your mind, sometimes you need to clear your space. A cluttered and messy environment can fog your thoughts. Going into this season, I wanted to feel clear, and that started with cleaning my space and even cleaning out my car.

So many times, we have so many plans for the season ahead, but we haven’t actually made room for those plans to be successful. Before you start adding things, sometimes you need to remove things.

Clean the room. Clean the car. Clean out the closet. Delete the screenshots. Throw away the stuff you keep saying you’re going to organize “one day.” Make room.

2. Name What’s Important

This is probably one of the biggest things I’ve been doing differently. I heard Mattie James talk about choosing three major focuses for a season, and it completely changed the way I think about priorities.

I say three because I think we try to prioritize too many things at the same time. When everything is important, nothing really is. So I sit down and ask myself, What is the focus for this season?

Right now, my three major focuses are blogging and YouTube, work, and preparing for this fitness thing I have coming up. Once I named what was important, I could start building my life around those things. 

That doesn’t mean those are the only things I’m going to do. It just means I know what gets my intentional attention.

3. Say No to Everything That’s Not It

Once you know what’s important, you have to know what isn’t.

If blogging and YouTube are a focus for me this season, I can’t spend all of my time and creative energy making Instagram Reels just because I feel like I should. That doesn’t mean I won’t post on Instagram. t just means it’s not the priority.

I think this applies to life in general.

There will always be something else you could be doing. Another event. Another trend. Another goal. Another purchase. Another idea; but if it doesn’t align with what you said was important, you have to be okay with saying no.

Not everything deserves a yes just because it’s a good opportunity. Sometimes saying no is how you protect the thing you already said yes to.

4. Get Rid of What’s Not a Fit

This one has shown up for me in a lot of different ways.

Going through my closet was a big one. I put away my summer clothes, pulled out my fall pieces, tried on jackets, and figured out what I was holding onto that I could no longer fit. I went through my shoes and figured out what I would actually wear. Once I did that, I could see what I had versus what I actually needed.

This isn’t just about clothes. Sometimes things no longer fit because you’ve changed.

A routine can stop fitting.

A commitment can stop fitting.

A relationship with something can stop fitting.

Even an old version of yourself can stop fitting.

And sometimes the reason you feel uncomfortable in a season is because you’re trying to carry things that don’t belong in it anymore. It’s okay to let them go.

5. Get a Solid Morning and Night Routine

Once I created my fitness routine, I realized my morning and nighttime routines needed some adjusting too.

If I’m going to ask my body to do more, I have to make sure I’m giving it enough rest. I’m also trying to be intentional about how I start and end my days because those little routines really do affect everything else.

A routine doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to work.

For me, it’s about creating enough structure that I’m not waking up every morning trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.

6. Get What You Need First, Then What You Want

This one came up with my fall wardrobe.

Initially, I wanted to go out and buy all new fall pieces, but before I did that, I went through what I already had.

What do I actually need?

What am I missing?

What can I make work?

Then, after I figured that out, I could think about what I wanted.

There’s nothing wrong with buying the things you want. I love fashion, and I love a good fall outfit. I’m learning that there’s a difference between wanting something and needing something. Sometimes the reset is realizing you already have more than enough.

7. Rinse and Repeat What Works

Once you find something that works, keep doing it.

I think sometimes we make things harder than they need to be because we’re constantly trying to create a new system. With fitness, for example, I created a workout and running stack that naturally fits into my schedule.

With content, I’m figuring out which days work best for writing, filming, and editing. 

Once I find the flow, I don’t need to reinvent it every week. I can rinse and repeat.

Consistency doesn’t always come from constantly finding something new. Sometimes it comes from doing the thing that already works over and over again.

8. Follow Your Natural Rhythm

This one is important because I don’t believe everything needs to look the same for everybody.

If waking up at 5 am isn’t your natural rhythm, you don’t necessarily need to force yourself to become a 5 am person just because you saw someone else do it.

Challenge yourself, absolutely, but don’t make your goals such a stretch that you’re constantly fighting yourself.

I work full time. I have other responsibilities. I want to work out. I want to create. I want to have a social life. So my routines have to fit my actual life. I want to add things to my natural flow instead of completely disrupting it.

9. Make Your Space Work for You

This is different from simply cleaning your space. Your space should support the life you’re trying to live.

If you’re trying to read more, make your books easy to access.

If you’re working from home, create a space where you can actually focus.

If you’re trying to work out in the morning, have your clothes ready.

If you’re trying to create more content, have your equipment organized and accessible.

Make the things you want to do easier to do.

Sometimes we think we have a discipline problem when really, we have a setup problem.

10. Aesthetics Matter, But They Aren’t Everything

I know I just spent this entire blog telling you that a fall reset is more than fall decor, but hear me out.

Aesthetics matter. Make it cute!

If you like pretty planners, get one.

If having your workout clothes laid out makes you excited to work out, lay them out.

If decorating your home for fall makes you excited to be home, decorate your house.

There’s nothing wrong with making your life beautiful. In fact, I think when you enjoy your environment, you’re more likely to actually use it.

HOWEVER the aesthetics can’t be the whole point.

A cute planner doesn’t make you productive.

A matching gym outfit doesn’t make you work out.

A perfectly decorated office doesn’t make you create.

The aesthetics should support the goal, not replace the goal. I think that’s really what this entire fall reset has been teaching me.

I don’t need to do everything.

I don’t need to have the perfect routine.

I don’t need to buy everything new.

I don’t need to copy someone else’s schedule.

I just need to get clear on what matters to me in this season and then prepare my life to support it. That’s the part of a reset that we don’t always talk about.

The reset isn’t the goal. The reset is what helps you get ready for the goal.

So, as you step into this new season, I want you to name your three. What are the three things that matter most to you right now?

Not what everybody else is doing. Not what Instagram says you should be doing. Not what looks good on Pinterest or TikTok. What is actually important to you? Once you name them, ask yourself what you need to do to make those things possible.

What needs to be cleaned out?

What needs to be scheduled?

What needs to be repeated?

What needs to be released?

What do you need to say no to?

What do you need to make room for?

Setting yourself up for your most productive, peaceful, and intentional season isn’t an accident. You prepare for it.

Maybe your fall reset isn’t about becoming a completely new person. Maybe it’s about finally making room for the person God has already been preparing you to become.