August, A Time For Review

There are just a couple of days left in August. That means we are close to the December holidays and New Year’s Day 2016 is but a distant memory.

Where I live August is hot and humid, it signals the end of summer vacations and children return to school. From my perspective, August is a bummer month. I want more of June and July. I like the fun that summer brings and tend to look for ways to enjoy life a little more.

So here we sit at the end of AUGUST. Ugh. What now? It’s still a few weeks away before it is acceptable to pull out the fall decorations and go full-on pumpkin everything. Yet, there must be something to do to pass the time until the leaves change color and the coffee shops bring out the spice drinks.

I work in higher education where August signals the start of the new year. It’s a chance to learn new things, do better than last year and to grow professionally. So that got me thinking, maybe the transition from August into September can signal the start of the fourth quarter in my personal life. It can be a time to review the previous eight months of living, ask oneself the hard questions, then make a plan to end the year on an awesome note.

Hmm. The hard questions. Is my life where I thought it would be when I looked forward on January 1st? Did I have success with any of my resolutions or plans for the new year? Was the rug ripped out from under my life? Have I been blessed with unexpected joy? When did I say no to something that would have been fun?

My hard questions may be different than yours, but take the time to ask them.  What could it hurt? You might find some new opportunities for Tinkering With Success.

August 2016. I’ll use the final couple of days to reflect on the year, then craft a plan to make the fourth quarter of this year amazing. Now I don’t necessarily mean fireworks and goosebumps amazing, but I do want to make it memorable. On December 31st, I want to look back on 2016 and see that I grew as a human being. And I want to remember the times that I laughed. You know, the kind of laugh that makes you snort and pee a little.

Yep, thanks August for reminding me that there’s always time for a fresh start. September, here I come!!!

B.L.T.