Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Here Comes September
I know I’m kind of a nerd, but I love September. It doesn’t matter how old I am—it always feels like a chance for reinvention to me. Remember that feeling, when you picked out what you were going to wear the first day of school (well, I had a uniform, but I paid a lot of attention to accessories) so that you would be a new, improved version of yourself on that first day?
I still feel like that, and I think that if we harness that feeling, September can be a great time to establish new habits, especially when it comes to managing time and your calendar. Summers tend to get lax, a little sloppy and loosey-goosey, which is why we love them, but September is time to reign it in. Isn’t it better to have a plan than to have the return to routine catch you unaware?
Do this: Sit down with your calendar. Put stuff on it. The first big deadline at work, and the three times a week you promised yourself you were going to go to Yoga. I put in the entire 2016-17 school calendar into my date book, and it felt great. I know that putting Yoga and PTA meetings on the calendar isn’t the same as actually going to them, but I believe blocking out the time substantially increases your chances of actually showing up.
September is also a great time to establish new routines for kids, as in: “Now that you’re in second grade, when you get home from school the first thing you are going to do is empty your lunch box and rinse out your water bottle.” The idea of adding a new habit to an existing habit is a proven method for developing new habits. That’s why I find easier to establish new routines at the start of the school year: the habit of going to school is so ingrained, it’s easy to build on.
So soak in those last days of sun and surf—but don’t forget to devote a few minutes (preferably with your iPad on the beach) to setting yourself up for a strong start in September.