Autumn is the new 'new year' - a new take on setting and reviewing goals

Lately many writers have been declaring Autumn as the new January. Why? Because school is back and work is back to business after the summer holidays, planning and strategising for the next quarter. It’s a time for new beginnings, new goals, new faces, and new commitments. In addition, as the leaves start falling off the trees, we can all start to think about what behaviours and actions we want to fall away and those we want to refresh, revive or begin a new. You’re either getting a head start on New Year’s goals or a late start if you didn’t get to your January ones.

Gretchen Rubin in the Happiness Project believes that like students heading back to school who will need to readjust in order to grow and maintain balance we can view September with this same mindset and that it is the smallest of modifications that can make a big difference. What kind of tweaks do you want to make this autumn?

To help you decide, we have found two writers taking on a new perspective to goal setting and reviewing. Both look at how you want to feel as the first step. From there you can determine what you need to do to feel that way.

Danielle Laporte believes that we have the procedures of achievement upside down. We go after things we want to accomplish, get, have and then hope we’ll be fulfilled. But what if we got clear on how we wanted to feel first and then laid out our intentions? What if your feelings consciously informed how you planned your day, your year, your career, your holidays? Laporte has developed the Desire Map process to do just this. See the book here. Also see her workbook Fire Starter Sessions. Worksheets can be viewed here.

James Sweetman lists a series of questions on his website to help with your planning based on Laporte’s Desire Mapping process. View them here.