Fall Calendar Audit for Time, Money, and Health

A step-by-step guide to review your habits, cut time-wasters, save money, and boost your health before the year ends

The air is shifting. The kids are back in school, pumpkin spice is sneaking onto menus, and your sweaters are eyeing you from the back of the closet. Fall is just weeks away.

For me, fall has always felt like a fresh chapter, a second New Year. But I’ve learned that if I don’t stop to review how I’ve been living, I’ll just roll into it with the same busy, scattered schedule I’ve been dragging around all summer.

That’s why I do a calendar audit every year. And let me tell you, the first time I did it… oof. I found so many “why did I say yes to that?” moments. I also noticed I’d practically scheduled zero time for myself, unless you count driving to appointments as “me time” (which I don’t).

So, before the leaves turn, I’m inviting you to do this with me. Together, we’ll look at your time, money, and health so you can finish this year feeling lighter, freer, and more in control.

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

Before you start, grab:

• Your calendar – Google Calendar, Outlook, paper planner, sticky notes… whatever you’ve been using to keep track of your life.
• Your budget or bank statements – Because time is money, and they’re more connected than you think.
• A wellness tracker – This could be your Fitbit data, your phone’s step count, or just notes in a journal.
• A notebook – For writing out your thoughts. (Trust me, writing it down makes the patterns jump out.)

Step 2: Block Out Your Audit Time

Give yourself 2–4 hours with no interruptions. This is not the kind of thing you squeeze in between meetings or during your kid’s soccer practice. I like to do mine on a quiet Saturday morning with a big mug of coffee.

Step 3: Review Your Year Through Three Lenses

Go through your year week by week. For every appointment, event, or project, ask:

1. Time

• How much time did this really take? (Prep, travel, recovery, count it all.)
• Was it worth giving that block of my life to this?

2. Money

• Did this cost me anything, directly or indirectly?
• Was there a return on that investment? (Not everything needs a dollar return, but it needs to give something back.)

3. Health

• Did this support my physical or mental health, or work against it?
• Did I leave feeling energized or depleted?

Then sort everything into:

1. Worth It – Things that brought joy, value, or growth.
2. Not Worth It – Time-wasters, money drains, or stress-inducers.
3. Self-Care & Fun – Activities that filled your cup (and yes, binge-watching a show can count if it truly relaxed you).

Step 4: Spot the Patterns

This is where it gets interesting and a little humbling. You might notice:

• The same names are popping up in your “Not Worth It” list.
• A recurring activity that drains you every single time.
• Self-care that only happened once or twice all year (guilty).

Awareness is the first step toward change. And sometimes the biggest “aha” comes from realizing what isn’t there.

Step 5: Apply the 80/20 Rule

The Pareto Principle says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Which activities gave you the most return in time saved, money earned or saved, and health improved? Those are your keepers, and they deserve prime real estate in your calendar.

Step 6: Redesign Your Year

With your audit in hand:

• Time – Protect your high-value hours like they’re gold.
• Money – Plan more low-cost activities that still bring you joy.
• Health – Schedule workouts, rest days, and healthy meals before you book anything else.

Step 7: Keep It Alive

This isn’t a “do it once and forget it” thing. I check in quarterly because life changes, and so do our priorities.

Why This Matters for You

When you protect your time, you have room for what matters.
When you manage your money well, you can fund what you truly want.
When you guard your health, you have the energy to enjoy it all.

And here’s the best part: you don’t have to wait for January to start fresh. Fall is your moment.

Do the audit, make the changes, and watch how much lighter the rest of your year feels.