Why September is the perfect time to reset and reinvent
For me, September has in the last ten years or so, had a feeling of magical energy around it. It’s not just the leaves turning, the promise of crisp air and wrapping up in cosy jumpers, it’s also the feeling of a fresh start. For many of us in midlife September can hold a significance that it may not have in our younger years (returning to school never filled me with joy)!
By now we’ve lived through enough January’s and New Years to know that the resolutions we make then rarely stick. September, however feels different, it’s calmer, more natural, less pressured. It says “this is your chance to begin again”.
Some Psychologists call it the “fresh start effect”. When we encounter a landmark like birthdays, a new year, the start of a new season, our brains naturally mark it as a new chapter. Research has shown that people are more motivated to pursue goals and make changes when they perceive they are at the start of something.
For women navigating midlife, juggling careers, adjusting to changing family dynamics, or simply craving something more, something different, there is no better moment to pause, reset and reinvent.
September is a gentler New Year
January usually comes with a heavy dose of guilt and pressure. We’ve all made resolutions to diet, exercise more, give things up and overhaul our entire lives in the middle of winter. It’s no wonder so many of us have given up by the time February starts.
September feels kinder, the light is softer, the weather still holds warmth and the summer has given us a space to breathe and relax a little. August holidays can be a reflection time for many. I read a story of a woman recently who had taken a journal on holiday with her and used it to write down all the things she wanted less of in her life and all the things she wanted more of. By September she felt ready to focus on what she really wanted moving forward.
The gift of September is that it’s not about punishing yourself, it’s about gently stepping into a version of life that feels good.
Natures cue for change
We only have to take a walk or look out of the window to see change unfolding. The trees release their leaves, the evenings draw in, the air is sharper. Autumn reminds us that letting go is not a failure it is a necessary part of growth.
In midlife we often face our own shedding, the changing roles in our and others lives, letting go of old expectations, even letting go of past versions of ourselves. September gives us permission to let go of what we no longer want and to start again. The trees do it and so can we.
An opportunity to prioritise you
So many women spend decades prioritising everyone else, children, partners, parents, work. In midlife these dynamics can change, empty nests, loss, separation all lead many women to ask “what’s my role now”? “Who am I”?
September is the perfect time to answer that question. Maybe you want a bold reinvention, a new career, a new look or maybe it’s something softer, like taking an evening a week to do something that gives you joy.
Clarity for the months ahead
There are only four months left in the year come September. Instead of asking “What goals or resolutions do I want to set”? Ask “What do I want to celebrate having achieved by December”?
Maybe it’s finishing something you’ve started, maybe it’s feeling a bit fitter, perhaps decluttering your home or reconnecting with friends. Small shifts can create big transformations by the end of the year.
Practical ways to reset in September
Make a vision board: Capture with images and words how you want the next season to feel.
Set one habit: Just one simple habit you can add into your day that will support your health and wellbeing.
Refresh your style: Let go of clothes that no longer feel you and make a list of things you would like to include, to make you feel fabulous.
Book something for you: A course, a day out, a beauty treatment or go on a walk somewhere you love. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it’s something just for you.
Declutter one thing: A drawer, a cupboard, your car, clearing creates space and space enables growth.
Make it stand out
Final thought
September isn’t just another month, it’s an opening. It’s a chance to exhale, to realign and to remind yourself that reinvention doesn’t belong to the young. It belongs to all of us, at every age.
This season give yourself permission to reset, to dream and to choose yourself.
The truth is midlife isn’t the beginning of the end, it’s the beginning of something fabulous, it’s where you stop being invisible and you become unstoppable.
So, step into September with courage, curiosity and joy. The next chapter is waiting and it’s going to be beautiful.
I would love to hear what you are planning for your reset so drop me an email and let me know and if you want some help to clarify what your next steps might be reach out and book one of my FREE Coaching sessions via the contact page.