September is the new January
January first has long held the reputation for a ‘fresh start’ and the harbinger of countless New Year’s Resolutions. However, it is becoming more and more apparent with every passing year that January’s resolutions don’t really make it past March. However, studies indicate that people who set resolutions are more likely to achieve them than those who don’t define their goals.
In light of this, it only makes sense to set your resolutions more than once during the year. September is another ‘new start’ of sorts considering many begin college and university in this month. The start of the academic year has long been associated with setting goals so let’s productively cash in on this.
Here are some of the reasons you should start writing down your September resolutions:
January may be the worst month to set resolutions
Resolutions in January make sure that the month preceding it has all goals thrown out the window. The festive break, the New Year’s parties, wedding season in Pakistan all ensure that no rules are followed and all expectations of ‘being good’ are added to the list of expectations from the New Year. Starting a year by reversing the effects of the previous months plus other goals is not the best start to the year.
University/College session starts
Fall is when most schools and colleges begin. Over the many (too many) years of academia, our minds are attuned to thinking that this period is a new beginning too. Even after your school years are behind you, the habits remain the same. Therefore, setting goals in this time frame proves more effective than January’s resolutions.
Working your way to the end of the year gives you a head start at the beginning of the next year
When the end is near in sight, it is more motivating to work on your resolutions. Think of it this way, when most people are setting goals for the next year, you’ll be reaping the rewards of keeping your September resolutions.
There’s still plenty of time to set goals and achieve results
It’s the waning half of the year- signaling towards the end, which may set you up for a bit of anxiety. However, there’s actually plenty of time left to achieve measurable results.
You can avoid the social pressure of setting certain resolutions
Keeping the momentum of the passing year in mind, you are more likely to set resolutions that can be achieved realistically in your existing routine. Rather than vague statements like ‘lose weight’, you may resolute to ‘walk down your office stairs thrice a week instead of taking the lift’. Furthermore, you are setting your goals for yourself according to your routine- no pressure of reading 20 articles about all the resolutions you should be keeping for a New You in the New Year.
