I haven’t been to school in many years, but every fall, I buy myself a stack of new notebooks and some fresh pens.
Something about this ritual takes me back to the first day of school when I was a kid, clutching my shiny Trapper Keeper and roasting in a new sweater.
I still feel the sense of renewed energy and possibility that September brings. Back-to-school season is one of those significant calendar milestones that produces what some behavioral scientists call a “fresh start effect.” This feeling can motivate us to set and pursue new goals, they say.
Traditionally, January is a time of new beginnings, but September can be, too, said Laura Vanderkam, a productivity expert and author of “Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance.” You may have more energy after a restful summer schedule, Vanderkam said.
And September is a good month to make “small tweaks,” she added, “as opposed to the kind of lifestyle overhauls that people seem to think they are going to do every January.”
I asked her and other experts in productivity and fitness how to harness that back-to-school feeling to build healthy habits.
Make a ‘to-learn list’
Our Well editor, Lori, has inspired me by trying out two new things this fall: She recently signed up for a culinary knife-skills class, and has joined a local choir in her neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Many of us have a to-do list, but Jim Kwik, a productivity expert and author of the upcoming book, “Limitless Daily,” recommended writing a “to-learn list” this fall.
“It doesn’t have to be huge,” Kwik said, just write down a few things you’d like to learn to get some ideas flowing.
Then see which ones you can realistically put into action, he suggested. Is it a skill you can learn online? Two of my friends started knitting by using YouTube tutorials; another recently learned to play the trumpet by taking video lessons.
Or go back to school, but without tuition or grades. Yale offers a variety of free online courses, including modern poetry and the study of epidemics in Western society. Harvard has more than 100 free classes on topics such as ancient Egyptian art, and managing anxiety. I’m eyeing a class about the science of food fermentation.
Try a new fitness routine
When it comes to starting a new exercise routine, September has several advantages, said Layne Norton, a bodybuilder and author of the upcoming book “Gain: The Life-Changing Science of Building Muscle.”
Fall often restores the structure in our schedules after the looseness of summer, said Dr. Norton, who holds an advanced degree in nutritional sciences. It’s easier to be consistent, he said. Outdoor workouts can still be pleasant, too, with cooler air but plenty of light remaining.
And starting in the fall also gives you an opportunity to establish a routine before the holidays, Dr. Norton added. By the time the new year begins, he said, “you arrive with several months of practice already behind you.”
If you go to a gym, it can often be less crowded in the fall, he said. “Nothing kills a new fitness routine quite like having to engage in full-contact sparring to get your favorite piece of gym equipment in January,” Dr. Norton said.
This fall, my goal is to build my waning upper body strength. But you can find your new favorite workout here.
Ask yourself these ‘5 key questions’
This month is a good time to reflect and take stock before the hectic winter season, Kwik said.
He said to ask yourself these five questions, from his book:
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What do I want to do more of in my life?
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What do I want to do less?
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What do I want to start?
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What do I want to stop?
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What’s something that’s working that I want to continue?
“Maybe, for example, you want to start going out in nature more often, do less doomscrolling, and keep up your family dinners,” he said.
Or you can make a few of those small tweaks that Vanderkam mentioned.
Get in touch with friends who have been off the grid over the summer and put some dates on the calendar. Experiment with new fall recipes, try “soft decluttering” as you transition into the new season, or establish a new morning routine.
You can also inject novelty into your routine by trying one small, doable new thing once a week, such as joining a community walk or painting outdoors.
And when it comes to a fresh start, fall has another advantage, Vanderkam said: Unlike the new year, there’s no pressure to make fall resolutions.
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