Is September The Real New Year?

This essay originally appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 9/7/20.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day Weekend! 

For a lot of people, Labor Day Weekend – or “the unofficial end of summer” – signifies a time of transition. Time to put away the white clothes. Time to get back in routines. Time to get things done before the holidays. In fact, to some, September (not January) is considered the start of a “new year.” 

I don’t think any of us expected life to still look like this in September. But alas, here we are. It is truly such a bewildering time.

However, I do have to admit that I get a little excited when I think about the “fresh start” September inherently offers. I feel like I need to switch things up a bit and I don’t think I am the only one.

On her podcast last week, Brené Brown focused on the idea of “Day 2.” In her words, we are in this moment in time where we don’t have the “dense fog of shiny possibility” that we had on Day 1 and we aren’t yet “running toward the finish line” like we will do on Day 3. Day 2 can be a really confusing and frustrating time.

The concept of “Day 2” reminded me of this article I read recently by author Bruce Felier, who wrote the book Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age. In his book, Bruce talks about navigating transitions and how they typically have three phases. According to Bruce, there is “the long goodbye,” in which you mourn the old you; “the messy middle,” in which you shed habits and create new ones; and “the new beginning,” in which you unveil your fresh self.

The descriptions of “Day 2” and “The Messy Middle” pinpoint exactly what I am feeling right now. Anyone else?! 

If you are feeling like this too, I want to encourage you to consider harnessing the “fresh start” September provides to make some changes to your routines. Shaking up our routines won’t solve big problems, but a few changes could help make our day-to-day lives a bit more enjoyable. A few changes here and there may be just what we need to get re-energized, re-inspired and add some pep to our step. For example, you could:

• Set your alarm to get up early and enjoy a cup of coffee by yourself
• Start adding in some daily movement that feels right to you
• Purchase a new cookbook you’ve been coveting and pick delicious meals to make weekly
• Schedule a weekly phone date with a friend or loved one
• Begin a just-for-fun creative project

For me, the change I am going to make this month is establishing a routine for the end of the workday. In the absence of a commute/being surrounded by other people, I’m having trouble unplugging and giving my mind a break. I’m finding that going right from working to scrolling social media to watching TV isn’t what I need to rest and recharge for the next day and it’s contributing to an overall feeling of exhaustion by the end of the week. I’m not sure exactly what this new routine will look like, but I will keep you posted! 

So, what do you think? Do you think you will adopt a new habit this September? 

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