Autumn Resolutions

It’s October, already more than halfway through the year, so now is the time I start thinking: “Did I keep up with my New Year’s resolutions?” We’re at that point of the year where we start assessing our victories and failures regarding the goals we set in January. Or we may even be thinking about goals we want to set when that ball drops in a couple months.

However, you might be the person who asks, “Why bother setting setting New Year’s resolutions if I’m never going to keep them?” There’s something about New Year’s resolutions that just doesn’t stick. Maybe it’s the fact that everyone makes them and barely anybody keeps them. According to an article from Psychology Today, less than 10% of people who make resolutions actually complete them, and more than 50% of people who make resolutions can’t even remember what their resolutions were! Amazing. Maybe the gym gets too crowded and everyone gives up. Either way, something about New Year’s resolutions just doesn’t work for us.

But why do we have to wait until January to make resolutions and set goals for ourselves? With the coming of a new season — beloved fall — we can set goals to be completed by winter, or by spring, or even by next fall. Maybe if we do it this way, we won’t get swept up into the mass of people making resolutions in January and forgetting them by June. Set your own course. Don’t let tired cliches and traditions get in the way of you reaching your goals.

Before you set your fall goals, think about what’s holding you back from completing your New Year’s resolutions in the first place. If you’ve been trying to accomplish the same goals year after year, maybe it’s time to tweak them a little bit. Try different approaches. Go at it in a different way. Everything is about trial and error. If you’re the kind of person who forgets what your goals even were— don’t worry, I’m that way too— try giving yourself little reminders. Put post it notes on your mirror and refrigerator. Schedule reminders and calendar updates on your phone. Have a friend ask you about your goals every now and then, or better yet, ask a friend to take a stab at these goals with you. Think about how nice it will be to spend this fall doing fall activities with that little burst of motivation that setting goals provides.

Let’s call this season’s goals autumn resolutions. Autumn resolutions can be just like New Year’s resolutions, except you don’t have to sit around until January and you have a nice backdrop of pretty-colored leaves and pumpkin patches. This fall, pick out a few books you want to have read by the end of December. Try those workouts you’ve been seeing online. Start up a blog or journal and make it a goal to keep up with it. There are so many possibilities for autumn resolutions, and the best part is that you can start them right now. Don’t wait, get your dreams.

Real Talk.