My Fall Goals

Necklace from Happiness Boutique (c/o)

If September is the January of the fashion world, this month marks the start of a new year, which means new dreams and new goals to look forward to. Fall—with its crispness and coziness, its back-to-school (or work) connotations, its promise of fresh beginnings—always brings with it such a sense of renewal. Of course, the fact that I'll be celebrating my birthday later this month doesn't hurt either! So here, in no particular order, from the significant to the absurdly mundane, are the goals on my list.

1. Go back to school for something career-related. This fall I'll be taking Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator courses two nights a week, to equip me with the technical skills I'll need to present information in a more graphic, user-friendly way at work.

2. Continue going to Bar Method classes 2-3 times a week. I can't stress enough how much the Bar Method has improved my overall sense of well-being this year, and although it'll be tough balancing work and blog with classes and homework, I realize now more than ever I need to make time to take care of my body. Regular exercise = better sleep, less stress, clearer mind, and improved fitness.

3. Live life offline. Before the advent of social media, it was possible to do something without feeling the urge to broadcast it to the world. I'm going to try my darnedest to put the iPhone away and be fully present in the moment, whether I'm at brunch with the boy or catching up with friends.

4. Plan meals so I'm not living off takeout all the time. When the going gets busy, we tend to start subsisting on a weekly rotation of sushi, pho, Chinese, noodles, burritos. And while it's nice that we have plenty of affordable, tasty options in our neighbourhood that aren't fast food, I think we could do with more wholesome meals and veggies during the week. This weekend will be our first big grocery-shopping and meal prep session in a long time—wish us luck!

5. Go into the weekends ready to have fun, and come out of the weekends ready to tackle the week ahead. I'll need to sleep enough on a daily basis that I don't feel the urge to sleep to noon on Saturday and Sunday, and I'll need to set aside unstructured leisure time so I can truly relax. At the same time, I'll have to take care of any stuff—like cleaning, blogging, homework, meal prep, grocery shopping—that'll set me up for a smoother week.

6. Get a haircut. It's happening this Saturday! Check that off the list.

7. Streamline my style even further beyond the KonMari Method. Lately I've been editing my wardrobe even further by asking myself "If I have 5 minutes to get dressed in the morning or for an event, would I reach for this?" The question has been surprisingly effective in winnowing out clothes and shoes that don't fit my current style. I'm one step closer to having my version of a dream closet, where everything goes with everything else and getting dressed takes next to no effort.

Your turn! What are your goals for the season ahead?