Fall: A time of renewal?

Autumn.  The turning of the leaves.  The briskness in the air.  Carving pumpkins and fresh apple pie.  Most of us traditionally think of New Year's Day as the time for new beginnings, but some (myself included) find autumn to be a time of renewal as well.  Reviewing progress on personal and family goals and thinking brushing off the "to do" list of things that didn't get completed as a result of the lazy days of summer. 

Perhaps some of us consider autumn a time of renewal because of the start of the school year.  Buying all those school supplies, new shoes and trendy clothes (or uniforms in my families case) for the kids and their excitement the days before school starts motivates me to want a fresh start. 

So this being only the second day of September, I thought I would pose a challenge to my readers:  What are your goals for the remainder of the year?  Start by reviewing any goals you may have set earlier in the year.  How did you do on them?  Be honest with yourself.  Nobody's going to be checking up on you!  Do you need to tweak any of the goals?  Are there some you can cross off? 

The next step is to look at what you want to accomplish over the remainder of the year.  Maybe you want to break your list down into personal goals, family and work goals for those of you who work outside the home.  Personal goals might include getting in shape or preparing healthier meals for your family.  Maybe you want to get more organized at work or take some night classes related to your profession.

Not many do it, but it is important to develop goals for your family.  For example, maybe you want to spend more quality time with the kids or improve communication with your teenager.  The start of the new school year makes it a perfect time to get back on track with family meetings.  Regular readers know that I am a huge supporter of family meetings.  With the start of school, homework, sports and the like, it can be tough finding time to connect with our kids.  A family meeting once a month or once a week is a great way to find out what is going on at school and strengthen relationships with your kids.  It can also provide you with a way to monitor your success on your family goals.

So, what things are you going to work on?  I know I am going to work on getting some freezer meals prepared, get back on track with our chore schedule and family meetings and sign up at our local YMCA as a way to get in shape and spend some fun time together as a family and that isn't even the tip of the iceberg of my list!

So let's get started!  Get out your calendar and schedule some alone time.  Take a long bath, light a candle and get your planner, journal or notepad and start jotting down your goals.  Make sure you plan alone time AT LEAST once per month to revisit and monitor your progress.   Feel free to post your goals!

Comments

[Melitsa]

I think Autumn is my favourite month. I love all the change that takes place. I've just moved so I am unpacking every moment I can get but a goal I have for the kids and I is get back outside for some long walks. We walked a lot before around the neighbourhood. It's probably where we all do our best talking and listening.
A personal goal will be to carve out some me time and do something just for me for an afternoon. I seem to always come up with a reason not to do it.

[Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom]

Amen, Melitsa! I hear ya on the carving out time for yourself goal. I think some of us (note: I'm really talking about myself here!) need to learn to let some of the small stuff go...taking care of those little things always seems to interfere with my alone time.

[Daisy]

I love the fall, and I'm actually busier in August than I am in January. I'm a public school teacher, and I gear up and go every fall. I'm making professional goals right now; I'll save the personal goals for January. :)