Get Your Self Together September: A New Year for Fresh Starts
September always feels like a fresh start to me. Where I grew up, school started in September—so the month came with new outfits, new pencils, and a new trapper-keeper (a fancy colorful folder for papers, for anyone who didn't grow up in the '80s and '90s).
Even now in Colorado, where school starts in August, September still feels like the month when the rhythms of the new school year click into place. Being back in routine actually feels good. Many years ago, a friend and I were creating themes for each month, and we coined September "Get-Your-Sh*t-Together September." As we became mothers, we rebranded it as "Get-Your-Self-Together September"—a month to move out of summer's exuberance and travel, settle into new projects, and spend time putting life back in order after a busier, more chaotic season.
When my now-husband and I first got together, I was introduced to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which typically falls in September or early October. Finally, I had found a calendar that matched the way my internal clock runs—honoring early fall as the time to evaluate, release, set new goals, and start over.
This year, the "new beginnings" feeling is especially potent as I step into my own new beginning: welcoming a baby in the coming months.
If this resonates with you, I've got four powerful practices to help us settle into September and align with the rest of the year.
Part 1: Remember
Track your dreams, plans, and hopes.
I'm going to ask you to remember at least one goal you set for yourself at your last new year—whether that was last September, last January, or anywhere in between. It can absolutely be a goal you didn't meet.
Why? Because you still have plenty of time.
If you want to complete that goal, September is the perfect time to tackle it. Break it into manageable chunks, put it on your calendar, and start chipping away at those pieces.
But also be kind to yourself—you had no idea what your year had in store. Maybe it's time to look at that goal and reassess whether it still serves you.
Prompts for Remembering Your Goals:
Grab your journal and look back at what you were writing about at your last new year
Scan your calendar to see what's receiving the value of your time
Review your to-do list (written or mental) to see what's been on your mind
If you're like me and use browser tabs as a brain, click through them to see what's been occupying your thoughts
Part 2: Reassess
Ask yourself: "Does this fit the life I'm living right now?"
One powerful decluttering strategy is to hold each object and ask, "Does this fit the real life I'm living right now?" This applies beautifully to our goals and the images we hold of ourselves.
Maybe you had a big creative project you wanted to bring to life, and then your child or someone in your family got sick. You chose to prioritize their care and put that dream on pause. Or you dreamed of starting a business, but didn't have time—until you lost your job and suddenly you did.
I'm not saying anyone should give up on themselves. But sometimes we need to be patient with the fact that we cannot prioritize everything at once. The modern idea that we can "have it all" often needs updating to:
"I can have it all, but I don't have to have it all at once."
Notice the difference in how that feels compared to "I can't have it all at once."
Just check in. Does the goal still fit and need a plan, or does it need a full reassessment to align with your current reality?
Prompts to Reassess:
Does this fit the life I'm living right now?
Does this still feel important to me?
Go through your last year and separate your calendar activities into two columns: "Love It" and "Can Live Without It" (or "Hate It"—some of us feel strongly!)
What are the three most important places to spend my time and energy from now until December 31st?
Part 3: Release
Let go of the things that don't fit you in this moment.
Sometimes it's easier to feel when something isn't a match than to know how to move forward. If you're clearing out your closet, it's easy to get rid of jeans that don't fit—they literally get stuck halfway up your thighs.
But finding a pair that fits, flatters, and feels good is another project entirely. Before jumping to what we want, we can simply release what's no longer working.
I said "simply"—but of course, it's not always that simple. Maybe a value was once core to who you are but no longer holds importance. Sometimes there's real grief in letting go of something that held deep meaning, whether it's physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Prompts to Release:
Write about what you're releasing and how it feels to let it go
Write or think about how you're changing, or what life circumstances have shifted, to make this goal/dream no longer hold the importance it once did
If you looked at your calendar, creatively imagine ways to do less of the things you don't enjoy make a plan to start shifting these by January 1st (saying "no" and delegating are just two options!)
Write or think about how you can more deeply accept your present reality by releasing this energy or item
Part 4: Reset
Now comes the new year energy: realign to something that feels true to your present moment.
This is where intention becomes action. (But of course, as wellness and mindfulness specialists I feel the need to remind you that sometimes the best “goal” is to do less…) The best goals aren't wishes—they're specific, anchored in your life right now, and broken into small enough pieces that progress is visible and achievable.
The key to lasting change isn't motivation. It's habit. Motivation is the spark; habits are the fuel. When you're tired, busy, or overwhelmed, habits carry you forward when willpower fails.
Prompts to Reset:
Create 5 affirmations of where you want to be, said in the present tense. Instead of "I want to be calm and start meditating," try "I am calm and care for my mind daily." This rewires your brain to align with who you're becoming, not who you wish you were.
Pick three feelings to cultivate over the next three months. Write them somewhere you'll see them daily—your mirror, your phone's home screen, your planner. Examples: grounded, energized, present, resilient, joyful. Let these feeling-anchors guide your big or small decisions when you're uncertain. Check in with yourself at the end of December to see if you are moving toward these feelings or if they need a change.
Find one goal that still feels right– then go small. Take that goal and break it into smaller pieces. Then break those into even smaller pieces. Your first step should feel almost ridiculously easy—something you can do in 5-10 minutes. Schedule your first steps into your calendar (bonus if you can put the first three weeks of these micro-goals on your calendar.) This prevents the all-or-nothing thinking that derails many of us.
Make a plan for obstacles and build in rest. Life happens. Kids get sick. Holidays get busy. Laundry piles up. Build unexpected delays into your dreams or goals to help your fresh start feel more manageable. This isn't failure—it's being realistic and kind to yourself. Maybe your full yoga practice is five times a week, but your "quick version" is five minutes. When I am picking up my meditation practice again I count the days when I only do 1 minute of mindful breathing just the same as I do a day where I sit for 30 minutes.
One last thing: You'll notice I'm using the end of the calendar year (Dec 31st) for re-evaluation. More frequent check-ins create better alignment with your present self, so I like to revisit September goals again at the end of December. It's easier to keep going in the right direction if you catch yourself after a few wrong turns rather than after a full year of them.
September is your chance to realign. To remember who you want to become. To release what no longer serves. And to reset with intention, grace, and kindness toward yourself.
What's one goal you're realigning for September? I'd love to hear it. Share with us next time you're in for a massage, or email hello@mountainmamamassage.com.
You've got this. 💚
