September Is The New January

Well, it's that time of year again, when we say so long to summer Fridays and trade in our bikinis and flip flops for toasty scarves and pumpkin spice lattes. We may get a few more warm days, but the weather is very noticeably changing. Have you seen how quickly it's getting dark in the evenings now?!

Beyond the obvious shift in weather, the changing of seasons brings a shift in energy as well.

Summer's energy is very carefree - all about doing things that bring us pleasure, whether that be travel, lying on the beach or impromptu outdoor dinner parties with friends. Fall's energy, however, is much more focused. Now that our summer plans have come to an end, our focus shifts to getting back to our normal lives and routines. That "back to school" vibe is in the air, and even if we're no longer in school ourselves, the energy is still around us.

For some of us, this transition can make us feel a bit sad - like we're saying goodbye to an old friend. However, I happen see it as an opportunity.

Yes, summer was a blast, but all of the travel, parties, rosé, etc. can leave us feeling a bit off balance. Dare I say, maybe even exhausted? But fall offers us an opportunity to slow down and get back to basics. An opportunity to reflect, reorganize, and start fresh.

Sounds kind of like January, right? It sure does! Yet, I'd argue that it's actually even better than January because a) it's not so freaking cold out yet, and b) you have several months to get your life in order BEFORE January.

Basically, September is the new January!

Let me explain:

While most of us think of January as a time for implementing resolutions, career shifts, promotions and new health routines, we often put off even thinking about those topics until New Year's Eve. And who can blame us? I mean, who wants to think about getting to the gym more or going through a round interviews when they've got a holiday party almost every night of the week? Not this girl! 

But while waiting until January to refocus on our goals is understandable, when we do this, we're actually causing ourselves to delay reaching those goals.

Huh?

Well, before you even start working towards a goal, you need to do a bunch of planning work around that goal. You need to determine things like:

  • what the heck your goal actually is
  • the timeline within which you'd like to meet your goal
  • the actionable steps that you are going to take to make it happen
  • what might get in the way of your goal and how to plan accordingly

By putting these things off until January, you're only delaying your timeline for getting into action (and therefore, reaching your goal). Suddenly, that 12 month year you've in your mind becomes more like a 10 or 9 month year because you can't jump into action without doing the ground work first. 

So why not take the time now to figure all of this out prior to the new year?

By doing so you can take your time and be deliberate about how you make a change or move forward. No more rushing to throw some resolutions on your list come January 1st that - let's be honest - you're never going to follow because they were made more like a checklist, rather than a thoughtful goal list.

Instead, you'll have done the leg work ahead of time so that, in January, you can focus on actions that will actually help you reach your goal. For example, say you want a new job in early 2018. If you take the time now to determine why you want a new job, what type of position will feel fulfilling, and what roles/companies you want to apply to, then in January, all you have to do is start applying and interviewing.

It's like giving yourself instant time back in the new year!

Make sense?

When you think about it, what I'm suggesting actually isn't that far off from how we used to look at the calendar growing up. From elementary school all the way through college, our lives revolved around the academic calendar. September was always about new beginnings - whether that included new classes, new grades, or new schools. At that time, September was essentially January for us. It wasn't until we graduated college and entered the corporate world that our lives began to really revolve around the annual calendar. 

So what I'm advocating is going back to looking at your calendar from that perspective.

Yes, definitely still do all of the awesome New Year's planning and goal setting when the time comes. However, why not look at the remainder of the year you have left and set yourself up to knock those goals out of the park come January?

By doing the leg work now, you'll be ahead of the game in the new year to make that career shift or get that promotion you've been wanting. And I guarantee your future self will be singing your praises for being so on top of things!

In the spirit of helping you to get back to center and uncover what you really want BEFORE the time comes to make a change, I'm rounding up some of my favorite blog posts and freebies from this year to get you started. 

I've broken them into two categories: career and mindfulness.

Under each category, I explain why I think focusing on that category now will benefit you and link to some of my blog posts as resources to explore that topic.

Feel free to read through both of the sections or choose the one that feels most important to you at the moment.

Career:

Regardless of what your career goal is for the new year, now is definitely the best time to start thinking about it. Finding a new job can take some time, as can advocating for a raise or promotion. If you leave working on the process until January, that will only delay the outcome for you. Meaning more days spent being miserable at your current job or less money in your pocket due to your current salary. 

Even if you don't want to change jobs until February or March, doing the work now to figure out what the heck you actually want out of a new job will be extremely beneficial. Not only will you be totally ready to go with the interview process, you'll be more likely to find a job you really love because you gave yourself time to reflect and apply to jobs purposefully, rather than out of desperation. 

When I put that way, it kind of makes you want to kick it into high gear right now, doesn't it?

Below are 5 blog posts and freebies to help you get your process going:

Mindfulness:

Summer can be an super fun time of year, but it can also be very depleting energetically and physically. We often don't get enough sleep or eat as well as we normally do throughout the rest of the year because we are so on the go. Take it from the girl who has been traveling every single weekend since early June, summer can do a real number on you without you even realizing it.

What's great about September is it gives us some time to slow down and regroup from the summer before launching head first into the holiday season. It's like a built in buffer in the calendar that gives us room to breathe, refocus, and make purposeful decisions. Our minds and bodies get a break from one high intensity season so we can be ready for the next.

And yes, while you probably don't want to hear this quite yet, the holidays (and all of the hectic energy surrounding them) will be here before you know it. Taking the early fall to reset and get back to taking care of yourself and back into your routines will make the latter part of the season far more enjoyable and purposeful, rather than feeling totally out of control.

Below are 5 blog posts (and a freebie) to help you get back to center:

 

Remember, this blog post isn't meant to get you all stressed out about having everything figured out by the end of the year. Each of us is on our own journey and timeline.

Rather, it's about reminding you to give yourself the time to lay the ground work so that you can go through the process of crushing your goals as purposefully and full of clarity as possible.

As always, please let me know if I can be of any help along the way. You can schedule a free 30 minute discovery call with me any time if you feel you could use some help exploring these topics further.

Be well,

Carolyn