Growing up, I always loved the back to school time of year. It felt like a second chance at starting fresh, at resolutions and goals – almost like a second New Year. I loved purchasing school supplies, a paper agenda (the annual cycle was the school year back then), and planning for a great (school) year.
- As an adult, I still love the arrival of September (including Vogue’s September issue, which to me signals the official end of summer), and have created some new rituals to welcome the fall, and the last four months of the calendar year.
- A look at my year’s resolutions, and where I stand on what I said in January that I would focus on this year. After 8 months, have I held true to these guidelines? If not, do I need to shift where I spend my attention?
- A list – I am as you know a lover of lists – of those key things I want to achieve before December 31st. Maximum 5 items, high-level and strategic, a mixture of personal and business.
- A closet tune-up, including the addition of one item of clothing or accessory that will anchor my style for the coming season.
- A week (usually the last week of August) during which I commit to quiet time spent outdoors, ideally in the early morning. 15 minutes spent watching the leaves slowly change colors, embracing nature’s way of ushering a new season in, enjoying the rhythm of this natural cycle.
Goodbye August, hello September!
I want to be you when I group up!