September is like a Monday.  Follow my logic for a moment.  A wise person (and you know who you are) tells me repeatedly that Monday is an opportunity to set an intention for the kind of week you want to have.   Maybe you’re the person who sees Monday as an ending.  An ending to the freedom and fun of the weekend.  Maybe you drag yourself out of bed on a Monday morning with dread. You long for the carefree pace of the weekend.  But what if you see Monday as an opportunity?  What if instead of dread, we approach Monday with renewed energy and thoughts of the possibility for great things? It’s a matter of mindset. 

Summer, like the weekend, is fantastic!  We take vacation.  We frolic at the beach, the pool and on the lake.  School kids have the freedom to explore, play, and sleep in late in the morning. So when September comes around, it’s an ending to the carefree days of Summer.  But what if we looked at it differently?  What if we thought of September as a new beginning?  An opportunity?  A fresh start?  A clean slate?  It’s a matter of mindset.

Now that Labor Day is in the rearview mirror, I want to share my viewpoint on September.  There are many things I could list that make September, and the Fall season in general, my favorite.  Football season, crisp breezes devoid of humidity, cool mornings and evenings, wearing boots and sweatshirts, and many more things warm and cozy make it number one for me.  It’s a not too hot, not too cold, sweet spot!

I think most of all, Fall brings a much-needed form and function to my life that’s missing during the Summer.  I spent most of my life having the Summer months off and free from structure.  First I was a student, then I was an educator/counselor, and now I’m the parent of a student, and I continue to work with school students.  I live by a school-year calendar.  My vacations are usually planned for Summertime.  I love vacation!  I love to travel.  But it always takes me a few days to get back into routine.  I had two, week-long vacations this past Summer, and while I know I’m lucky and enjoy every moment of my getaways, they really chopped up my momentum.  I felt like I was getting ready for vacation, on vacation, or “recovering” from vacation all Summer long.  

So, like Monday, September can be a time to refocus.  A time to set or reset goals.  It can be an opportunity to hit the ground running and make the end of the calendar year the best and most productive.  Although I enjoy the relative unstructured freedom of the Summer months, come September, I’m ready for more structure and routine. 

If you’re a parent, your kids are back at school.  Back to school can mean crazy, chaotic mornings, hectic, stressed evenings getting the kids to and from their activities and dinner on the table.  Oh yeah, and homework!  Managing your kids’ schedules during the school year is a full-time job!

So how can you use the flow and structure of the school year to your advantage?

• Start your day with quiet and focus (even if it means getting up a little earlier).  Your own self-care comes first, because you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you’re stressed it trickles down to your family.   

• Stay organized.  Make a family calendar that is front and center for everyone to see. Also have a place/station for all of the things!  School bags, homework, supplies in one space so you aren’t scrambling around in the morning looking for things.

• Set daily priorities.  Maybe everything doesn’t get done.  You don’t have to say “yes” to everything.  Prioritize the things that are most important each day (maybe do this during your quiet and focus time in the morning).  Be kind to yourself if it’s not perfect.

• Engage your kids in the process.  Teaching your kids, even the young ones, to be responsible for themselves and their belongings is a valuable life lesson.  

• End your day with self care.  You choose what works for you...a bath, a good book, music, television, quiet, etc. You know how this works. Reflect on your day and make any necessary changes tomorrow. And again, be kind to yourself if it’s not perfect.

So September, like Monday, is filled with opportunity. You can set an intention for the type of school year you want to have. Make it a great one. It’s a matter of mindset.