The one month you have time to recalibrate your [work] life

Somehow for me, August means back-to-school time even though I teach adults, not kids.

 

The weather here in Seattle has been spectacular this summer. Bright sunshine, cool air, light breezes, long days, and perfect temperatures. Even the humidity has been reasonable.

For those of you who don't know, we don't have mosquitos here in Seattle in the summer, so you can throw open the doors and expect not to be bothered by those annoying critters. Sunshine and fresh air come flooding in. It's our reward for hanging in there during those grey months that precede them.

Here in the USA, every month of the year has a holiday in it. Except August.

  • January — New Year's Day
  • February — Valentine's Day
  • March — Easter/Spring Break (sometimes in April)
  • April — Easter/Spring Break (sometimes in March)
  • May — Memorial Day
  • June — Juneteenth
  • July — Independence Day
  • September — Labor Day
  • October — Halloween
  • November — Thanksgiving Day
  • December — Christmas Day

What about August? Well, the closest we come to that are the myriad of birthdays that occur. I personally have 8 people near-and-dear to me with birthdays this month. The greeting card company can afford to make payroll just from my August investment in birthday cards.

People also tend to take vacations in August. Thus, the neighborhood streets around here are pretty quiet during this month.

I have a love/hate relationship with August. For me as an entrepreneur, it can be devastating to the budget. On the other hand, there's time to catch my breath from the earlier months in the year, to recalibrate the remaining 4 months that accelerate me towards Christmas and New Year's.

A calendar with push-pins indicating key events on specific dates.Key dates for classes are coming up soon.

I just finished laying out the schedule of Scrum Certification classes that I teach at my website, https://www.RemoteScrumStudy.com/calendar through the end of 2026. That's when I started to think about the recalibration. People tend to think about making New Year's resolutions just as they're starting to recover from the hectic/exciting/depressing holiday season. That's not the time to figure things out, you're not in your right mind. August is much better.

Because my birthday is in very early September, I'm accustomed to thinking about making life-plans in parallel with the school year. Some of this was reinforced by my father's occupation as a public school teacher when I was growing up. August has always had a sense of anticipation, and for me it still does.

But if you're determined to stick with the Calendar year, I get it.

So, what are you going to do with those last 4 months of 2026? Could this be a dry run for making changes in the new year? If so, what will you change? What will be different?

Improving your mind is always good; learning new things is absolutely essential. Career-wise I'd encourage my fellow Agile/Scrum professionals to get their certifications if they don't already have them. And for those seeking to become leaders and/or would like additional mentorship for their practice, I offer 1:1 leadership skills training specific to Agile. You can see some of the topics I cover by visiting www.youtube.com/@tooliem.

For me, the clock and the calendar are completely intertwined. Time is our most precious resource.

The month is nearly over. The clock is ticking. What will you change? How will you wrap up 2026? There's still time to make this your best year ever. Put your ideas in the comments below. And let's work together so you can be the change you want to see in your workplace.