Do you ever miss the excitement of going back to school? Putting on your new first day of school outfit, packing up your backpack the night before, meeting up with your old friends and saying hello to new classmates—when autumn rolled around, the calendar always signaled that it was time for a fresh start.
If you ever catch yourself feeling nostalgic about the first day of school as an adult, you’re not alone. Sometimes, adult life can seem like one day merely bleeding into the next as you go through the same routines.
Author Mary Laura Philpott has an idea: this fall, make a conscious choice to pursue your own program of learning. It’s kind of like going back to school, but this time around, you get to create your own curriculum. Pretend you’re gearing up for grade 19/20, and let’s explore how you can hit the reset button for personal growth this fall.
Reflect on the Changes You’d Like to Make
Which areas of your life are starting to feel a little stagnant? Do you find yourself feeling like you wish you were more mindful, physically active, or organized?
Take a little time to reflect on the changes you would like to see in your life. Write it all down in a notebook, and be honest with yourself. Think about which changes you could realistically make between now and the holidays.
Set Goals
Settled on a few lifestyle changes? Now it’s time to set some real goals for your program of learning. Dream as big as you want! Or set small goals that seem relatively easy to achieve over the next two months or so. It’s all up to you.
Decide on the benchmarks you want to meet and focus on action items that will help you get there. Make your goals clear and specific—this will help you when it’s time to dig into planning.
Make a Plan
Next, you’ll want to bring a little structure to your goal-setting process. For instance, do you want to run three times a week? Do you want to meditate every morning and evening? Making a chart to keep track of your progress towards your goals can make it feel like a fun game.
Pretend you’re going back to school shopping, and get everything you need ready to go. Need new sneakers for the gym? A comfortable pair of shoes for a dance class? Make sure you have all the logistics sorted out before you get started.
Seek Out Resources
Check out classes offered at your local community college, or see if there are any interesting, useful seminars at your local library for free. You can also check out Meet Up to see if there are any groups in your area full of people who are working towards the same goals that you are. You never know what kind of resources for your program of learning will be available to you until you look!
Ensure Accountability
You don’t have to start your project all by yourself. Why not enlist a friend to get involved in your “curriculum?” Perhaps you can make a pact with a few friends to put together your own learning programs for the fall and help each other out along the way.
Let’s face it; once you tell other people that you’re working towards a goal, you’ll feel a lot more motivated—you don’t want to give up when you know that your loved ones are rooting for you to succeed! Making it a group project can add to the experience.
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Ready to restart your life this fall, but don’t know where to begin? A therapist can help you head down the path of positive change. Contact me today to discuss scheduling your first session. Or, visit my page about therapy for depression to learn more about how I can help.