September is the New January
WHY TODAY MAY BE A BETTER DAY TO MAKE YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
This Saturday, I heard my mother say "I was in labor on Labor Day" for the 53rd time. I’m sure I’ve never had a birthday where she missed slipping it in at least once.
So for me Labor Day has always marked the new year.
It turns out I’m not alone.
Forbes, Fast Company, the Wall Street journal and others have all run articles on why September may be the best time for your resolutions.
It makes sense.
Throughout your formative years, this day marked the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.
You had new clothes, new shoes, new pencils and notebooks. You got a haircut and a brand new bookbag (the pre-millennial backpack).
On the first day of school, you dreamed (or feared) what this year would be like. And when you arrived, you were amazed by how different everyone looked from the year before. Even the familiar school building felt different because you were on a new floor or in a new wing where the teachers had reputations you’d been hearing about for years and the lockers were a different color.
You did this for at least 12 years – September as a new year is part of your DNA.
But this year, it feels particularly intense.
Everything about 2020 has felt new, and not in a good way. That’s made moving into this betokened new year, a bit more harrowing than the first day of school for some. I’ve noticed an uptick of angst in many of my friends and clients.
September represents a gateway to a new beginning for us, but in the past, it's done that within an expected structure.
This year too many things feel different and uncertain, so if you’re feeling some extra angst, anxiety, or pressure right now, know that it’s natural.
Here’s the thing.
However you may be feeling today, you can still choose to set your sites on something that you want to have happen in the coming year.
Psychologically, September as the start of something new is so strong that your brain has already laid the groundwork for your success – you just need to give it the parameters of what "new" is for you this year.
And that, my friends, is a choice you can make.
My only advice? Keep it simple and keep it in alignment with what you value most.
This Week: Let's All Be Freshmen Again
Imagine that tomorrow is the first day of your freshman year. Only this time you’ve got decades of wisdom in your bookbag.
Who will you be this year?
Bring a picture of that woman into your minds eye:
Note the way she walks, talks, laughs. See how she gestures.
Notice the way she responds to other people.
How does she carry herself when she’s angry? Afraid? Excited?
What is she doing? Wearing?
How does she spend her time?
Notice how comfortable she is in her skin.
Play with your vision until you see her clearly – until she gives you goosebumps, a lump in your throat or until a smile creeps up onto your face.
Whether the changes you envision are huge or tiny, SHE is the next version of you.
Here’s something I can promise…
If you begin each day for the next year by asking yourself the question
"How do I want to show up today?"
and take a moment to fully bring your vision to life in your mind,
you will start next year much more like HER than the woman who conjured her.
How easy is that?