Starting a new class, new level, new school this September? Even with nobody in my household attending any kind of formal education, I’m still feeling like every September is a new start with new horizons ahead.
So let’s buy new notebooks and start taking notes. Maybe start that gratitude journal, or do your mood charting, or get serious about the daily schedule for keeping the circadian rhythm balanced. Any new start is meaningful, but it does seem like something vaguely academic makes sense in September.
Studies tell us that we can make a decision to change something in our lives at any time. People frequently make resolutions in January, or on their birthday, but internet searches spike on topics like “diet” and “gym membership” at the beginning of each month of the year, and even Mondays show some resolution-making activity. This means that September can be as good a time as any, whether you are in the Northern Hemisphere and beginning to plan for cooler weather, or in the Southern Hemisphere and looking forward to long days on the beach soon.
What is this new season calling you to? Dream big! You may have the experience of having made resolutions many times, without finding the ability or motivation to follow through. Experience shows that, to stick, resolutions have to be both specific and contextualized.
Specific means you can tell if you did it or not. “Get more exercise” is not specific. “Walk 30 minutes at least 3 times a week” is specific. You’ll be able to chart your progress, and pick up again if you fall off course for a while.
Contextualized means it’s truly a part of your life. “Write a book” might be a resolution in the right direction if becoming a writer is a part of your life’s purpose and plan. But if you are more interested in forest conservation, say, or animal rescue, or human rights, then maybe it’s time to make resolutions in the area that resonates most profoundly with who you want to become.
It’s never a bad time to resolve to improve your life, but September is a threshold for many people. Why not make use of it today?