When it comes to setting goals and making positive changes, fall is the new New Year’s. It’s a natural for starting fresh, as we say so long to summer’s warmth and welcome autumn’s crisp air and crunchy leaves. The change of season gets us moving a little quicker, whether it’s shuttling kids back to the classroom or scheduling staff and board meetings. It’s a good time to set sights on changes that are less grandiose than goals we set on January 1 and that also preserve the benefits of summer’s slower, more relaxed pace as we speed into the busy last months of the year.

Here are some ways you can leverage the changing seasons in your events business.

Write a “to learn” list

In addition to “to-do” lists, compose, then tackle, a “to learn” list. It’s an idea that Jim Kirk, a productivity expert, explores in his new book “Limitless Daily.” In a recent article in The New York Times, he recommended writing down a few goals you can realistically achieve. He pointed out that the wealth of online learning options is great for folks whose schedules don’t always have room for that 6 p.m. Intro to Spanish class. Of course, there are plenty of in-person learning options, from community education programs and local colleges to cultural institutions. And don’t think that a class that seems to have nothing to do with your job won’t help you at work. For example, a cooking class could help you better connect with caterers and offer fresh ideas for menus. Joining a choir will not only surround you with beautiful voices but also strengthen your voice and confidence.

Reinstitute “Back to School” traditions

Getting ready to go back to school energizes kids. NPR’s Life Kit suggests adults step back in time and enjoy some back-to-school traditions of their own. Do a little shopping — maybe you don’t need a backpack, but how about a new laptop bag? The holidays will be here in a heartbeat — shop for dressy outfits to make those occasions more celebratory. And don’t skip recess. Add fun and games to your schedule — a line dancing class after work, a walk through the park, a card game with family after dinner. Even though the long days of summer have ended, don’t pack away the books. Technology makes it easy to keep reading for pleasure. Listen to a novel on your commute. Have books on your tablet and the next time you are stuck on a long wait, you won’t have to doom scroll. And one last tip from Life Kit. Don’t forget to make new friends, like you did in school all those years ago. All the cool kids are doing it.

Put some fall in it all

Another way to celebrate the season? Infuse fall meetings with the tastes, smells and sights of autumn. Develop menus that employ not just pumpkin but other fall favorites — pecan, maple and apple. Serve dishes we crave when temperatures dip — creamy soups, chunky stews, and crisps and cobblers. Plan your conference dates around a city’s fall festivals for built-in entertainment. Load up the motorcoach for a trip to an orchard to pick apples or wander in a corn maze. Host a late afternoon event at a winery and let the turning colors of the grapevines put on a show at sunset. Think fall for hands-on activities — paint or carve pumpkins, make fall wreaths, compete to see which team can design the most attractive tablescape. End an evening with a chill by screening Halloween movies outdoors. Provide warming fire pits and serve creepy treats like mummy hot dogs, ghost cupcakes and severed finger cheese sticks — you’ll find all kinds of ideas online.

Seek the upbeat

As life delivers its inevitable ups and downs this fall, look for upbeat stories like the one  about a Little League coach’s motivating message, which went viral in September. Coach Cory Edwards saw his team crumbling as they realized they were going to lose the Little League World Series, so he pulled them together and said what we all need to hear from time to time. “No matter what happens, you have to hold your head up. You have to not get on each other. When it gets tough, you get tougher.” Edwards later told The Athletic that in that moment, when everything seemed negative to the kids, he saw plenty of positives. After his thoughtful words, the team wiped away their tears, accepted their loss with grace and celebrated how far they’d come with pizza and a basketball game. You don’t have to be an athlete to appreciate the life lessons playing a team sport like soccer or softball can teach, especially if the team is led by a wise and caring coach (Think “Ted Lasso,” and if you haven’t watched the show, do and you’ll see what I mean.)

Don’t let burnout destroy your energy

If your enthusiasm for the new season and its fresh start starts to migrate like a Monarch butterfly, it might be time to figure out if you are suffering from burnout. As Daphne Gray-Grant says in her Publications Coach newsletter, burnout isn’t cured simply by taking a week’s vacation. She points out that many time management experts, including Cal Newport, have said that in order to start recovering from burnout, we have to learn to turn off work — no checking email before bed; no sending texts while seated in a movie theater, no monitoring Slack over the weekend. Newport recommends establishing an end of the day ritual — turning off your devices, writing notes for the next day’s priorities, tidying up your desk — to mentally close the office door. It’s one way to start to regain momentum so that you have the energy to tackle other issues that might be dragging you down, like lack of control or conflicts with leadership.