Remember that feeling on the last day of your summer holidays, just before going back into a new primary school year?

For me, “back to school” almost always felt positive. A mix of nerves, excitement and possibility. Anything could happen.

A brand-new pencil case. New shoes that didn’t quite fit but were special nonetheless. A new teacher. Familiar and new friends. A blank A4 lined jotter specially covered with brown paper for protection, and with my name and new class number proudly positioned on the front page.

Fast forward to now. Holidays over. The inbox is already buzzing. Politics, deadlines, the same old stuff circling round. Maybe you’re energised and ready to get stuck in. Maybe you’re quietly dreading it.

What if you could take that “back to school” energy, that sense of a fresh start, unbridled curiosity, and a bit of healthy apprehension, and carry it with you into work this week?

It’s not about pretending work is a playground! It’s about unlocking something you already have. Those moments in time where you felt open, resourceful, and willing to give things a go.

Why not step back into a memory (or two) that holds this essence for you, now. Recall what you saw and heard, the smells and tastes, and how you felt. Maybe, like me, you’ll find that doing this provides an energy boost that helps to put more of a positive spin on things.

In a world that feels like it’s full-on VUCA - volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous - that childlike mindset is oddly well-suited. Volatility can become a challenge worth tackling. Uncertainty? A doorway to discovery. Complexity? A reason to collaborate. Ambiguity? An opportunity to get really curious and to experiment.

For me, tapping back into memories like these can shift how I face what’s ahead – the big projects, the tricky conversations, the endless “stuff”. I stop seeing September as a grind and start seeing it as a fresh term.

So, in that spirit, I offer you an apple for your week.

Take five minutes to revisit those “back to school–like” moments, those times when you felt open, ready, resourceful. Step into them fully. Recall the sights, the sounds, the smells and the tastes. Let that feeling gather around you. Then tuck it into your school bag, along with the apple, ready for your day and week ahead.