Honoring 9/11 Without Ignoring Your Business: Making Space for Memory in a Busy Life

There are days on the calendar that don’t feel like “just another day.”

September 11 is one of those days.

The world keeps spinning:
Emails still come in.
Clients still have needs.
Bills still need to be paid.

But inside, everything feels a little heavier.

You might feel a tug to pause, to remember, to honor what happened and who was lost. At the same time, you may feel pressure to keep working like it’s business as usual.

That tension is very real:

How do I honor a day like 9/11 and still show up for my business?
Is it okay if I can’t move at full speed today?
What does “professional” even look like when the world feels heavy?

In the Buckets and Boom Gates episode now titled “Pausing for 9/11: Making Space for Memory in a Busy Business,” Jill and Kim sit with that tension and offer a gentler way to walk through it. This post draws from that conversation.
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What Remembering Really Means

Remembering isn’t just thinking about something sad for a minute and moving on. It’s deeper than that.

A helpful way to think about it is:

Remembering is the act of intentionally bringing a person, moment, or experience back into your awareness so it continues to matter in the present. It’s more than recalling a fact; it’s choosing to honor what has shaped you by reflecting on it, learning from it, and letting it influence how you live, lead, and relate today.

On September 11, remembrance is both personal and collective.

Some people lost family members, friends, or colleagues.
Others remember where they were, what they saw, and how the world suddenly felt less certain and safe.
For younger generations, the stories and images still shape how they see security, travel, and global events.

September 11 is a day of remembrance and reflection, honoring the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the courage of those who stepped forward to help. It invites us to pause, acknowledge the weight of that day, and choose to move forward with more compassion, unity, and care for one another.

Remembering in this way is not a distraction from your life or your work. It’s actually a way of bringing your life and work back into alignment with what matters.

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The Collision Between Remembrance and Responsibilities

The world doesn’t stop on 9/11.

You may still have:

• Client calls
• Launch timelines
• Content to create
• Kids to get to school
• Meetings you can’t move

There’s a kind of whiplash in that.

Part of you wants to be still.
Another part of you feels you have to “push through.”

You might even hear two voices in your head:

One saying, “People have it worse than you; just do your job.”
And another saying, “Pretending today is normal feels wrong.”

The truth is, both your humanity and your responsibilities are real.

The goal is not to shut one down in favor of the other. The goal is to make a bit more room for both.
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Moving Forward vs “Moving On”

One of the most helpful distinctions from the episode is the difference between “moving on” and “moving forward.”

“Moving on” often sounds like:

• “Get over it.”
• “Stop thinking about it.”
• “Leave that in the past.”

For something like 9/11, and for many other significant losses, that’s neither realistic nor respectful.

“Moving forward” is different. It says:

• This happened
• It changed us
• We are still here
• We will keep going, carrying this with us

You don’t have to “move on” from 9/11 to function as a business owner. You can move forward with an awareness of the day, adjusted expectations, and a more grounded presence.
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How Days Like 9/11 Clarify Priorities

Loss and remembrance have a way of stripping away the illusion that everything on your to‑do list is equally important.

On a day like 9/11, you may find yourself asking:

• Do I really need to get stuck on this tiny detail today?
• What actually matters most in my business right now?
• Who in my world needs to hear from me today—inside and outside of work?

In the episode, Jill and Kim use this working definition:

Focusing on the real priorities means putting your time, energy, and attention on the few things that truly move the needle, instead of getting lost in distractions, busywork, or other people’s urgencies. It’s the practice of regularly stepping back to ask, “What actually matters most right now?” and then aligning your schedule, decisions, and actions with those answers, even when it means saying no to good but less important things.

On 9/11, real priorities might include:

• Taking a moment to remember and honor
• Being present with your family or community
• Serving your current clients well
• Doing only the essential business tasks and letting extras wait

You’re allowed to let the priorities shift for a day—without labeling yourself as lazy or uncommitted.
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Three Gentle Anchors For 9/11

Here are three simple anchors you can use on 9/11 (or any day of remembrance):

1. Adjust, don’t abandon
2. Presence over performance
3. One act of remembrance, one act of aligned work

1. Adjust, Don’t Abandon

You may not have your usual capacity. That doesn’t mean you have to ghost your work or pretend nothing is wrong.

Adjustment might look like:

• Rescheduling non‑urgent calls
• Shortening an episode, email, or post
• Doing light admin instead of heavy creative work
• Pushing a launch by a day or two if you have that flexibility

You’re not failing your business—you're honoring your limits for a day that carries extra weight.

2. Presence Over Performance

On heavier days, trying to “perform” your most energetic self can be exhausting and disorienting for you and your audience.

Instead, choose presence:

• Speak a little more slowly
• Share a simple, grounded message instead of a big production
• If appropriate, acknowledge the day with a single sentence of context

You don’t have to ignore 9/11 to appear professional. Many people will appreciate the honesty and humanity of a quieter, more grounded tone.

3. One Small Act of Remembrance, One Small Act of Aligned Work

To keep from shutting down entirely or overcompensating with busyness, choose:

• One small act of remembrance
• One small business action that truly matters

Examples of an act of remembrance:

• Lighting a candle
• Saying a prayer
• Reading a short reflection
• Sending a message to someone for whom the day is especially significant

Examples of an aligned business action:

• Serving one client with extra care
• Completing one high‑value task you’ve been avoiding
• Checking your schedule and removing one non‑essential item so you can breathe

That’s it. One and one.

Small on purpose. Enough for this day.
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A Simple Reflection Practice For 9/11

If you want something concrete to do, here’s a short practice you can use:

1. Take 5 quiet minutes.

• No phone, no laptop. Just breathe.

2. Ask yourself:

• What am I remembering today?
• What actually matters most—for me, my people, and my work—right now?

3. Write down whatever comes up.

• No editing. It could be names, feelings, values, tasks, or prayers.

4. From that list, choose:

• One small way to honor what you’re remembering
• One small, meaningful business step that aligns with what matters most

5. Let that be enough for today.

You can always do more on another day. Today, you’re allowed to live a slightly smaller but more meaningful version of your plan.
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You’re Allowed To Be Human Today

At the end of the episode, the strongest thread is permission:

• Permission to remember
• Permission to feel
• Permission to adjust
• Permission to still care about your work

You don’t have to split yourself into “the part of me that feels” and “the part of me that runs the business.”

You are one whole person.

On September 11—and on any day that carries weight—you are allowed to:

• Pause
• Remember
• Do less
• Do what matters most
• And trust that your business can hold a day of slowness better than your soul can hold nonstop pretending

You are not behind for choosing to be human.

In fact, you may find that allowing yourself room to honor these days deepens your leadership, clarifies your priorities, and makes your business a more honest reflection of who you really are.

And that is worth making space for.

If you missed the conversation between Kim and Jill on their podcast Buckets and Boom Gates, you can listen to Episode #130 here

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Blog #184