For years, I looked forward to back to school season. New stationary and writing utensils, fresh clothes, a new routine, and the excited anticipation of the year ahead. It’s a time of year that I still look back on fondly.
While I’m not going back to school, and I don’t currently have children that are going back to any form of school… I don’t see why I can’t join in the fun!
This time of year is still the perfect time to set new goals, create new routines, focus on some new habits, and refresh our wardrobes. So here’s how I propose that we take advantage of back to school season (even if we’re not going back to school.)
10 Ways to Celebrate Back to School (Even When You’re Not Going Back to School)
Set a New Goal to Complete by the End of the Year
January 1st always gets the big press when it comes to setting new goals for the year. Though I believe that mid-year might be an even better place to start! You already know whether or not you’re logically going to tackle those resolutions, you have a deeper understanding of your priorities for the year, and, perhaps even better, you still have five months left to achieve!
Whether or not you’re accomplishing those original New Year’s Resolutions you created, take a little time to consider what your goals should be for the duration of the year. They can be exactly the same or entirely different than what you hoped to achieve way back in January. Either way, show yourself some gratitude for what you have been able to accomplish, forgive yourself for what you didn’t, and plan out the rest of your year so that you’re setting yourself up for success!
Refresh Your Wardrobe
Back to School clothes aren’t just for the kids anymore. There’s no better time to refresh your wardrobe!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I basically live in athleisure at this point in my life. So this year, I’m planning to fully invest in some awesome leisure wear. My top picks thus are are the SST track pants, this super classic hoodie, and (because we all deserve a fresh backpack) this amazing suede backpack.(All priced $60-$75.) I’m very focused on clothing that is comfortable for home, yet classy enough to go from a coffee date, to my co-working space, to meeting clients. All of these pieces are perfect for that transitionary weather that happens in the fall, too – hot during the day and cool in the evenings, making layering the way to go.
Create a New Habit
If you receive my monthly newsletter, then you know how much I believe in the power of habit. Perhaps it’s sticking to a schedule for you, or perhaps it’s just setting aside 15 minutes per day to focus on one specific task, habits are one of the primary reasons why some people are just simply more successful than others. It takes a certain level of discipline to commit yourself to working on something every single day – a level of drive that many people won’t be compelled to maintain. Allow yourself to stand out from the pack by creating a new habit that will help you to become the best version of you possible.
If you need some ideas, ones that you might be interested in trying could be meditating, journaling, taking a mid-day walk over your lunch hour, or simply putting down your phone over dinner with your +1. Try each one out for a day and see what speaks to you before jumping in with both feet. That way, when you become truly committed, you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Start a New Tradition
Every family loves back to school traditions and for good reason. In my opinion, the best part of back to school traditions are that they make a potentially stressful day much more fun!
Consider beginning a new tradition yourself. Maybe each night before bed, you write down one new thing you learned. Or maybe you decide to have a little fiesta for the first NFL football game of the year.
Big or small, daily or once-a-year, traditions tend to take us out of purely focusing on mundane everyday tasks, sneak us away from just surfing the internet, and make life much more fun! Added bonus if you’re able to get some family and friends involved so that it builds into your community, as well.
Learn Something New
Learning doesn’t need to stop once we graduate from school. In fact, learning, even into old age, helps to keep your memory sharp and helps you be better able to adapt to change. When you learn, your brain chemistry literally changes, making you able to learn faster, make better connections to various skill areas, and it can help you to stave off dementia.
Whether you decide to head to a nearby museum, or get really committed to learning a new language, learning something new is a practice that will grow to become routine once you truly decide dive in.
Start a Countdown
If your schools were similar to mine, then we had a countdown going all year, prepping us with the number of school days left until summer. While I was and still am a proud nerd that loved almost every year of school, that little bit of consistent anticipation kept me excited throughout the entire year.
And I still love to get excited about specific landmarks, whether they be in the near future, or far off in the distance. Counting down to a vacation, a birthday, or a concert you’re pumped to be attending will keep the excitement going far longer than the event itself, and the anticipation will bring a whole new level of enthusiasm to the getting-ready process.
Get Some New Stationary
Yes, we’re on computers and phones almost all day, every day. But who doesn’t love getting some sleek new stationary!
In recent years, I’ve loved to use back to school sale season to purchase a new journal if I’m cutting it close page-wise, as well as some new, monogrammed notecards that I can use for thank you notes or notes just to say hello throughout the year. If neither of those piques your fancy, consider buying some simple thank you cards that you can use as events come up across the year, such as for birthday gifts or to pass along gratitude to someone that went out of their way for you. Having them in-stock in your home will get rid of any excuses so that you can promptly reply when the time is right.
Throw an End of Summer Party
Whether or not you’re celebrating back to school, the dog days of summer always feel a little bit more special. You start to crave the warmth and longer days of sunshine again, while the leaves start to change and vest & quarter-zip weather begins.
And there’s no reason why we can’t celebrate as grownups, too!
Throw a happy hour on your patio, or welcome the fall with a little game of touch football. Whatever speaks to you as being the perfect way to end the summer sunshine-filled season, invite friends and family to join along so that it becomes a real celebration with those you love.
Create a Time Capsule
I do have a time capsule that my family created when I was around 13 years old, but I think that it’s sometimes even more fun to create an annual type of time capsule that you can look back on in the years to come.
Where are you in life? What are your goals? What are your favorite shows, movies, songs, and who are your favorite people to hang out with?
In following years, reflect back on your personal time capsule to see what’s changed and what has remained the same. Even if you have similar interests as you had in years prior, it might help to show you the progress you’ve made and just how far you’ve come in a relatively short period of time. Then in five, ten, 15 or more years, it will help to jog your memory so that you can look back on your life in a little bit more awe and wonder.
Develop Your Personal Mission Statement
A mission statement is commonly known for being an organization’s reason for being. It may describe who your customers are, your location, your business goals and philosophies, or any other series of over-arching information that is integral to defining your business.
While mission statements for businesses rarely change, I like to come up with my own mission statement for the year. Sometimes it adjusts slightly from years past, sometimes it stays the same, and, in rare cases, it shifts dramatically, but it always helps me to define what I want to be my path in life for the year.
Take a moment during this season to define who you want to be and what path you want to prioritize for your life. It will help you to set honest goals and will help you to understand yourself at an even deeper level that you might realize.
*This post was sponsored by adidas, though all opinions are my own. Thank you so much for your support!
