From backpacks to breakthroughs, this is the time for fresh starts — at any age.
Although we’re still a few weeks away from the official turn of the season, the energy of September is already in the air.
One friend’s daughter is nervously packing for her first year of college.
A couple has their two-year-old holding up a mini-blackboard announcing their starting pre-pre-k school (in their home).
A non-profit CEO is starting a four-month sabbatical — no downtime for her, she’s got her time off scheduled with road trips and book lists, all about learning new things to bring back to her job.
And then there’s a client, just a few years away from retirement, who told me, “Fall is the perfect time to think about what comes next.” We’re meeting this month to map out how he can refire, not retire.
Last week, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks: a child — maybe ten years old — hauling a backpack nearly as tall as she was, heading to summer computer camp. That thing probably weighed half as much as she did, but she didn’t slow down—pure grit — carrying the tools for learning that would soon go from backpack to brain.
Even for those of us long out of school, September signals a fresh start.
Our brains are wired for it — cooler mornings, shorter days, and pumpkin spice in just about everything. You hear it in the school buses rumbling down the street and feel it in the workplace as people return from vacation ready to tackle what’s next.
Where January resolutions are often aspirational — sometimes champagne-fueled — September commitments feel grounded. They’re anchored in real needs, clear deadlines, and external (or internal) accountability.
Photo by Hannah Domsic on Unsplash
I like to think of this season as the September Reset— a place we return to each year to pick up something new or finally figure out something old. For me, that means continuing my yearlong focus on better concentration and attention — a challenge I’ve carried for decades. And yes, I’m writing this post late into the evening… maybe that’s a sign of progress.
If you’re at a point where you’re asking yourself What’s next?, September might be your moment.
Here’s what I’m working on this fall:
- What’s Next: Reinventing Retirement — A program for people in midlife and beyond who are designing a next chapter that’s purposeful, energizing, and uniquely theirs.
- What’s Next: Find the Job You Love (Without Stressing About the “Job Market”) — Because I’ve been getting calls from job seekers who are ready to pivot, but don’t want to panic.
Photo by Fernando Santander on Unsplash
There’s a rhythm to this season — one that moves us from the lazy days of summer to the energy of renewal. It’s time to sharpen our pencils, organize our files, and invite some new excitement into our lives that will carry us through the year and beyond. Whatever you are planning to do, consider the Haiku written by my friend, Nellie:
Crisp air wakes my mind
Yellow leaves begin to fall
Time to start again
What’s next for you this fall? Send me a note — I’d love to hear and join the chat
