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Are you feeling it — a sense of anticipation for changing leaves and cooler temperatures, a craving for anything pumpkin flavored, maybe a faintly nagging sense that it’s time to hurry up, get things done? It’s the end of September and we’re headed into the fourth quarter, already back to school and maybe even looking ahead to the holidays. Everything seems to speed up in the fall; there’s a collective sense of regrouping and getting back to (the frequently rushed) routine. This is how our modern world roles, but it’s likely that the inclination to hurry, hurry is more deeply rooted in our psyches than just cultural conditioning. Earlier this month I heard (podcast maybe?) or read (most likely, but I’m not sure where) that at an instinctive level and along with the rest of the natural world, we’re simply responding to the dwindling light. Makes sense — for most of human history how well a group harvested, hunted and gathered in the fall would make the difference between starvation and survival come winter. We’re fortunate in the here and now that the stakes aren’t so high. I have an ambitious list of projects for this fall — none of which is a matter of life and death, but the successful completion of a few of them will do much for my (mental) health and happiness. Unexecuted ideas are the worst nags. I hope to complete the collection of Christmas whimsy boxes and ornaments that I had to abandon last fall. Next month is Birdtober (!) I love the camaraderie and personal accountability of a good Instagram challenge. And it involves birds. And some very unusual ones — ever heard of a Pin-tailed Wydah or a Potoo? There are also four, maybe five, painting projects that are calling out for some kind of attention . . . and then there’s everything else. October is offering a time-management challenge, which will give me the opportunity to test productivity hacks. Do you like to read and listen to podcasts about how to better manage your time? I do. (And I sometimes have to acknowledge that the habit may be a contributing factor to my own low productivity.) How well these tricks work seems, like just about everything, to depend on the individual implementing them. For the record, the Pomodoro Technique does not work for me — I need BIG chunks of time to get anything done. I’ll report back in October and share insights that will help us all be as efficient as Martha Stewart in her prime — or not. It’s probably a good idea to pause every now and then and ask: what’s really at stake here? Maybe have a little perspective refresh along with my pumpkin spice latte. Enjoy the season! Rebecca
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