Fall is almost upon us. I suppose I should lament summer; the long sunny days, swimming, skydiving and hiking… I can’t though. I really like fall. There’s something about it that is so special. Maybe it’s the smell of the leaves as they turn and begin to fall, or the anticipation of the NFL season. Maybe it’s because it was my Grandmother’s most favorite time of year and it reminds me of her.

Most people I know wish it could be summer year-round, and for those of us who live in more tropical areas, it is. I live in Colorado where we get all four seasons (although fall and spring can sometimes be incredibly short). I am grateful for all the seasons. There’s something exciting about each one of them. Fall is especially cool though. When the weather turns, I become a bit of a homebody. I watch new shows and football (of course). The boys and I make yummy treats like pumpkin bread and blueberry muffins. We do art projects and crafts for Halloween.

Just as fall transforms the landscape from summer green to white winter, fall is a great time to transform your own life. It seems as if summer is very busy and full of activity. For me, summertime is a difficult time for me to focus on self-improvement- unless you count skydiving as a personal development technique! I thought I would share with you the goals that I have set for myself, in the spirit of sharing and motivation.

1. Get healthy. I have somehow allowed my once fit and active body to slide a bit this past year, so my goal is to lose enough weight to fit back into all my clothes again. Right now, I fit into a select few. I realize that usually this is the time of year for putting on some “winter fat”, but I did that last year; hence, goal one is necessary. This carries a double-bonus for me in that once I’ve succeeded I won’t have to buy any new clothes (see #2 for further explanation).
2. Continue to get my finances under control. I’m not in bad shape, but I’m nowhere near where I need to be. My goal is to be more aware of my spending habits and to eliminate all non-necessity purchases. No matter how much I may think a latter is a matter of life and death, it isn’t.
3. Home improvements. I am hoping to remodel my upstairs bathroom this fall/winter. The woman who lived here before me was about 40 years older and as you can imagine her tastes leave much to be desired. Holiday Inn wallpaper and peach molding doesn’t work for me. Oh, did I mention that my sink is shaped like a seashell? A seashell, people.
4. Volunteering. It’s time for my oldest son and I to participate in a program of giving. My current plan is to work at a homeless shelter a few times before the end of the year. I can think of a million ways that this will benefit others less fortunate, but the ways that it will benefit my child are priceless.

These are all goals that can be easily achieved with a little motivation and focus, and at the same time aren’t so daunting that I can’t enjoy myself. So, I guess it’s not just the colors and the smells of fall that get me excited. Fall equals change. Fall is opportunity to make something better or different.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!