The weather sort of sneaks up on us-cool one day and hot the next. And “Indian summer” is fun to look forward to as a reminder that it’s not over yet, but we really know that, metaphorically speaking,
the middle of the night is the beginning of the day.
Even though it’s still dark at 12:01 a.m., it still is morning! It’s a transition, rather than an off/on switch, to the light of day. Just as are the seasons!
We tend to coast, play and relax in summer, a season when we may not think too much about goals and work. Which is a good thing! We need time to rest and goof off.
But I think my favorite season is fall. I’m sure it’s all those years in school (both as a student and later as a teacher) when it meant a new school outfit and freshly sharpened pencils and pristine notebooks. But fall always feels like one thing to me:
A new beginning.
I love fall’s fresh energy, the “clean slate” feeling. And I love checking things off of my “to do” list. So I’ve done goal-setting three times a year for years now: January like everyone else, June for the beginning of summer, and September for the new school year.
I hate having tired goals, unfinished goals; so I redo them to make me feel good. Though my sisters may say that I’m compulsive, I think I’m just organized! After all, I’m the oldest sister and have to be the responsible one!
So here’s to new beginnings! Want to join me?
After all our coasting and playing and relaxing, it’s time to regroup and get focused. If we want to be in a better place next year, then fall is the perfect time to set ourselves up for it.
So, to kick off this season of change, I have one question:
What one thing do you most want to accomplish this fall?
Here are some things you might be thinking about:
- Starting a new creative project
- Finishing a project you’ve been working on
- Getting into good shape, emotionally or physically
- Traveling
- Learning a new skill
Why pick one? The season is only three months long, and one focus is plenty. We can always build on it or pick a new one for winter.
Why even do this at all?
Here’s the thing: if we don’t make a conscious choice, we could coast our way into the new year, then into spring, into summer, and…Ack! Another year has gone by. Choosing our focus makes all the difference.
I like what Emerson said.
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
For me, this fall my focus will be about learning more and more about how to do a blog effectively. I want to do links, plug-ins, videos, etc! And I’d love to be able to tweak some of the more technical things that I don’t yet understand. I know that I will revel in the exuberance of having conquered this new field. I will be patting myself on the back for having stretched beyond my current comfort zone. And my first, tiny step is finishing the two e-books that I have that purport to teach me all I need to know about WordPress.
Now it’s your turn. Your homework:
- Choose your one goal
- Let yourself feel what it will feel like when it’s done
- Decide the first step, however tiny, and take it!
So, what did you come up with? Please share in the comment section below.
Summer is winding down, and we can feel it because after Labor Day, fall unofficially begins. The school year gets underway. The Halloween decorations come out in the stores.
6 Comments
Finances for the newly retired. That’s mine. I need to get this sorted out, then on automatic pilot so there will be no more need to fuss about it all.
May (not January) is really my personal ‘new year’ (birthday) for review and plan making, but now is when the change is happening, so now is a great time to set a goal and get on it! And I’ll bet it’ll all get done, too!
The first steps have been taken already, and others are lined up in order. No hurry, just slow and steady – a little bit every day until it’s done.
Thanks for the little nudge, Pat!
Fay
Fay,
Thanks so much for sharing your goal. Getting finances in order is indeed step one just as keeping finances in order is step two!
Using your birthday as your “new year” is another great re-evaluation point and, I guess, we don’t have to wait-maybe quarterly or monthly are also good times to re-examine where we are, in relation to where we are going. But I do know that taking the time to see and feel the progress is crucial to “keeping on keeping on!”
Good luck and keep me posted!
Pat
Mine?…..to simply move forward. To take each thing that I have currently started in my life and move them each to a new level. For some, perhaps, they will move off into the “Dispose of” pile. For others, I see them moving rapidly to the top of the “GET IT DONE!” pile. Forward Movement….this is my goal.
Taking action and moving forward on any or all of our projects is empowering! “They say” that in order to eat an elephant we have to take it one bite at a time. So congratulations on your decision to “Forward Movement” and remember that each completed action, each closure, releases the energy that was tied to the imcompletion and is now available for your next one!
This fall I am stepping out in faith as a new group leader in BSF.It is both scary and exciting to meet 15 new friends who probably have
more knowledge and experience than I. One thing for sure, I know I
am going to grow and it won’t be boring!
Gail,
Not being bored is always to be preferred! And I know your curiosity and your compassion will add to your personal growth.