September Is the Real New Year

There are very few of us for whom September doesn't feel like a time of new beginnings. Honestly, for me, September feels more like a fresh start than January 1st ever does. There's something about the cold of winter that just doesn't inspire the same sense of possibility.

Even those of us without school-aged kids feel the shift this time of year. Something in the air reminds us to take stock — to look at what we've been doing, and to ask ourselves what needs to change.

The Season of Trying Something New

The other beautiful thing about this time of year is that it's when courses and classes start popping up everywhere — community centres, local colleges and universities, religious centres. September hands us permission to try something we've always wanted to try, to finally develop that skill we keep putting off.

Winter's cold doesn't make us feel brave. September does. There's something about the crispness of the air and the return to routine that makes tackling the unknown feel possible in a way it just doesn't in January.

Ask Your Kids What They Want to Try

This is the season to sit down with our kids and ask them what they want to try this year. Are they trying out for a new sports team? Do they want to learn an instrument? Maybe languages are their thing. Or maybe they've been wanting to learn their way around the kitchen alongside you.

Because here's the thing: this is the time for our children to watch US try new things. And it's from watching us that they'll find the confidence to try something new themselves.

What Will You Try This Fall?

The cooler evenings and shorter days can leave me feeling a little wistful, if I'm honest. And I won't pretend I'm thrilled about sweater weather. But I am excited — genuinely excited — about the new opportunities this season has waiting for me.

So what about it? Could this be the year you sign up for a pottery class as a family? Or finally learn to ice skate together?

What's your fall goal for 2026?