September is the Second January
Many people talk about setting goals in January. They are excited about the fresh start that a new year provides, and they are quick to consider how they can improve their lives and achieve better results by setting New Year’s Resolutions.
While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, it’s easy to develop the illusion that January is the only time you can set new goals. Want to lose weight, eat better, read your Bible regularly, spend more time with family and loved ones, pick up a new skill, or start working on a side hustle? That’s great! Just get through Christmas and then it’ll be time to get to work.
It’s easy for us to wait until the setting is perfect before we start something new. Unfortunately, when we develop this expectation that the environment must be perfect for us to take the first step, we inhibit our progress before we even begin. Not only do we delay our first step until a theoretical moment when the stars align, but we increase the chances that we’ll give up early on if something doesn’t go our way.
If you’re going to be the type of person who achieves more goals, you must begin by recognizing that perfection is an unattainable standard. Remember that everyone starts somewhere, and you may have to begin before you feel 100% ready.
This brings me back to the value of September. Although September isn’t January, there’s a sense of newness in the air that makes it easy to think about starting something new. Children are returning to school. A new season is beginning. Changes in your surroundings and circumstances lead you to begin thinking about changes you could make in your life.
I may not know you personally, but I imagine you’re not 100% satisfied with where you are in life right now. There’s probably something you want to change (or at least improve relative to where you are right now). What if this month was the beginning of your next Pursuit? What if you chose to invest this time wisely, knowing that you could be somewhere entirely different by this time next year? You’ll also be leaps and bounds ahead of someone who waits until January to choose a new goal and begin taking action.
Don’t wait until the end of the year to start living the life you want. Consider how you could take the next step today toward improving your relationship with God, practicing daily discipline, and pursuing the life you truly want. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you take ownership of your future and take small, deliberate steps.
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” – Colossians 3:17