Why September is the Real January

Photo credit: D. Sharon Pruitt

There’s something about September…..

By the time Labor Day rolls around, summer has worn out my welcome. I’ve had too much fun in the sun. My energy and focus are buried under layers of sunless tanning spray and  SPF 85.

But then September comes and voila, I have a renewed sense of purpose.  A little neon sign somewhere in my brain flickers on:  “It’s business time” again.

The seasonal transition gives me a new zest for life. Re-energized and looking for some “RE” verb action, I’m in the mood to reorganize, restore, reinvigorate, refresh and….well, you get the point.

Here’s how I’m pressing the restart button this Fall:

• Closet cleaning

Now’s the time when I open my closet, clutch my pearls and exclaim “what the H#@& did I wear last fall?” After that shock, I start the donation pile for the outdated, outworn and/or ill-fitting clothes of Fall past. And I don’t spare the summer clothes either. Then I hightail it over to Goodwill, before I change my mind on that now purely aspirational, two sizes too small linen shift dress.

• Getting back into the kitchen

Fall is the time for comfort foods that, simply put, are just more fun to make. I’m breaking out the Crock Pot for yummy soups, dips, chili and other one-pot wonders which simultaneously make our home smell delicious and drive our two dogs crazy. I’m surfing Pinterest for pumpkin recipes galore. I’m possessed with the urge to go to the Farmers Market and buy spaghetti squash. Since I have no idea how to cook spaghetti squash, it’s a vicious circle back to Pinterest again! All in all, Autumn means more intentional meal planning which can only be a good thing.

• Sprucing up the home

My attention to home detail rises to an almost Martha Stewart-like level in the fall. I obsess over decorating the porch and front entry way. Do the mums clash with the color of the pansies?  Would one more pumpkin be too much? And food, of course, just tastes better if we are eating on “autumn-colored” dinnerware and with seasonally appropriate napkins.

• Autumnal naval-gazing

As the days get shorter and the leaves start falling, there’s the promise of a fresh start. Every fall, I feel the pull of it. Nature is starting a new chapter and I think perhaps I should, too.  Self-improvement projects feel natural this time of year as change is literally in the air all around us. Right now, I’m reading The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business by Charles Duhigg in the hopes of breaking some nasty habits like Dunkin Donut runs (though I’m pondering an exemption for the pumpkin donut.)

All of this has convinced me that September is the real January.

After all, what’s so special about January 1st?

Why do we try to make changes when it’s dark and cold and we’re bloated from holiday gluttony and burdened with the bills from our materialistic excesses?  Are New Year’s resolutions just cliché? Isn’t it more natural to make changes and resolutions at a time when the weather is invigorating, mother nature is stunning us with her glory and we’re still relaxed from summer vacation.

From the fictional mouth of one of my favorite minor literary characters, Jordan Baker of  The Great Gatsby:

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.”

And now, I’m trying my darndest to capitalize on the “Back to School” vibe of September. If only metaphorically, I find myself going back to school every September…It’s just the school of life, in which I am a perpetual student.

Enjoy September! All 30 of its lovely days!

And if you have “Fall Fever”:

Don’t miss these great Fall quotes I compiled.

How about you? Do you think September is the real January?