The real new year is September
I cannot resist nibbling the last of my ripe grapes in the fall! As I have blogged before, September has always seemed like the beginning of a new year more so than January, since it signals the end of a more relaxed schedule and all of those spontaneous activities I associate with the lazy, hazy days of summer. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that September is a great time to focus on putting yourself first by setting some lifestyle resolutions.
An article in the Wall Street Journal on 9/14/16 by Anne Marie Chaker really spoke to me. It seems that the shift back to routines in the fall does make desired life changes easier while January’s post holiday exhaustion can make New Year’s resolutions feel even tougher.
Ann Marie states that, “September marks a time of change in how we live, what we buy and what goals we set.” In addition:
- Families put routines back in place
- People clear clutter out-the change in temperature inspires many people to clear out garages, closets and get better organized
- Many vow to plan and cook healthy meals-grocery stores say shopping baskets fill up more now as people promise to cook again and map out weekly meals
- Gym memberships soar in September
We also see:
- The latest smartphones unveiled
- Executives hunker down for a fourth quarter slog to complete the year’s tasks
- Some religious traditions linking the start of an agricultural cycle of sowing and harvests to new beginnings
- Fall as the most popular time of the year to get married (last year 39% of weddings happened in the fall)