Ah, the start of a fresh school year. The life-long student in me delights at the excuse to buy a new notebook and set my sights on what I would like to achieve next, while the self-employed part of me sneaks off into a micro-sabbatical each year during the first week of school. I’m lucky that my favourite time of year also marks the time of year when my clients are feeling too frazzled and appreciate taking yoga off their plates.
September is the other January
It may have been the moment I truly fell in love with Gretchen Rubin. In episode 129 of her podcast, Happier, she outlines why and how we can use September in much the same way we use January: by starting fresh and setting goals. Summer vacation can be disruptive and the start of the school year has us settling back in to routines, which can support us on the path to being happier.
September is the better January
Who would ever want to aim for success during the coldest, darkest time of year? Yuck! If you follow me, you know I love New Year’s Resolutions BUT I actually only make them in January – I follow through on them slowly throughout the year. It is really, really hard to make good on our ambitions when all the forces of nature are combining to tell us to curl up and feast on carbohydrates until spring. It’s no surprise that a few weeks later our goals are long forgotten as we prioritize our energy for surviving in a harsh season. Each winter, I lead a “Blue Monday” self-care class to help us get through the toughest part of the season with supports drawn from Ayurveda, TCM and hygge. My more realistic winter goals usually include getting on top of my mending and finding a light-hearted audiobook. My hands are generally pretty full because I’m eating lots and lots of soup.
September, on the other hand, gives us a recipe for motivation. There is something about the unstructured, long days of summer that has us longing for routines. Cooler temperatures and slightly shorter days often bring improved sleep and the daytime energy and focus that we need to tackle what life throws at us. We have a one-two punch of desire and environmental shifts to get us moving in the right direction.
Make hay while the sun shines
We have a window of time between now and when the season shifts again. Timelines like this can be motivating because we can pace ourselves to race toward the finish line. Take some time to determine when your hay day ends. Setting the clocks back? The start of the Christmas season? If you can anticipate an energetic deadline, you can work backwards from there. Mark out how many weeks you have and get realistic about what you can accomplish in that time. Use this time of getting back in to routines to set some new habits that will stick more effortlessly when energy starts to wane.
And for heck’s sake, buy yourself a new notebook – what are you waiting for!?
If you’re looking for more:
A blog post by Gretchen Rubin on this topic: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/better-than-before/. Check out her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin wherever you get your podcasts.
Each September I post a yoga practice on this topic. Here’s the latest one:
Back to School, Back to Basics
https://youtu.be/0stI2q1EKjs?si=lzNm9aMDw_r6bf_a
ZenwithGwen 