I’ve written many times about how for me, September is the other January — a clean slate, a fresh start, a chance to use new pencils, fresh notebooks, and begin again.
In fact, in my book Happier at Home, I did a happiness project that stretched from September to May, to take advantage of September’s clean slate.
So I was fascinated to read a piece in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, “Now Is the Real New Year” by Anne Marie Chaker.
Some interesting points about why people make resolutions in September:
- with the start of school, families get back into routines, and that helps people get organized and set goals
- January is a tough time for resolutions, because of post-holiday exhaustion
- summer efforts can get derailed because of vacation
- September is one of the biggest months for enrolling in weight-loss programs, going to the gym, and cooking at home
- people often change their hair style in September
- people often take steps to change careers in September, and work on household budgets
- September is now bigger than June as a time to get married; it’s second only to October
How about you? Do you feel like September is a time for a fresh start?
