Although I love the 'blank slate' or the 'fresh start' that January represents, I do equally enjoy the 'possibility' that September brings. There's also perhaps less pressure when there's no talk of New Year's Resolutions and Dry Januarys to contend with! It's also the end of the summer holidays which may have been relaxing (or at the very least, a change of scenery or schedule) and I'm either invigorated or desperate to return to a familiar rhythm. Maybe it's also linked to the start of the academic year and the manageable 4 month run-up to Christmas, but September definitely delivers a different spring in my step than January ever can.
Here are my favourite September fresh starts
I can return to being creative in the kitchen
For me, the summer break tends to be about travel, exploring and catching up with friends and family. When I cook over the summer, I'm leaning heavily on my repertoire of old favourites so that I can focus on who I'm spending time with more than what I'm cooking for the next meal. I miss trying out new recipes and September is a return to the freedom to experiment and be creative. I'm going to enjoy exploring some of the gems in my beloved collection of recipe books and also build on the inspiration that I gathered from my summer travels. Watch this space …
There's a high chance that I might tackle an 'organising' task with renewed enthusiasm
A return from holiday always puts me in the mood for a good sort out and I need to get back to tackling my HUGE backlog of digital photos, to make sure I know what's there and to be certain that they are safely backed up. I made a good start last September but I now need to finish the job once and for all. Funnily enough, I only seem to get the urge to tackle this when I'm fueled by the fresh start of September. Must do better!
I'm inspired to do a few of the jobs that I tend to put off during the rest of the year
There are other things that I'm also in the habit of putting off and off. Making sauerkraut is one of them! Once I start, it's kind of fun, not least because pounding the hell out of an enormous bowl of shredded cabbage is a highly effective and satisfying way of shedding tension. I already have the large Kilner jars so really there is nothing to stop me from using September's springboard as a path towards fermented loveliness. Watch this space ...
I relish a return to the familiar rhythm of the school day and the working week after the summer break
There is a familiarity to the rhythm that September brings and after the summer break, I find that I do appreciate the structure. I've written about My 10 Principles for Packed Lunch Sanity which might help to ease you back into the less thrilling parts of the everyday routine! I especially like taking a packed lunch ‘temperature check’ towards the end of the summer holidays so that I'm heading into September at least with an idea of what's working and what isn't.
A return to kicking the weekly takeaway habit
Before the summer, I was doing really well on kicking the weekly takeaway habit - after all, it's expensive and, quite honestly, rarely tastes that great. A busy May and June with exams and hectic schedules meant that I slipped a little back into old habits, but I'm hoping that the fresh start of September will get me back on track. I might even come up with a few new tasty and cost-effective alternatives that won't take loads of time or leave me with piles of washing up.
Regaining the gym strength that I'd built up before the summer feels like a satisfying objective
Goodness, it's pretty depressing how quickly we lose the strength and fitness that we have built up through a regular gym habit. I'm excited to think less about what I didn't manage to do over the summer and focus more on a fierce and strong return in September.
