3 Reasons We All Should Love Back-To-School

I love Back-To-School time, and not just because my sons sometimes drive me buggy during the summer months. Whether in school or not, this time of year always feels like an opportunity for great new things!  It's like New Year's without the snow, winter misery or credit card bills.  

So use Back-to-School time as an opportunity to embrace new ideas and gadgets, and improve yourself and broaden your mind, not because you have to but because the world is full of new things to learn every day.

Start fresh, get back to a routine:

I love the lazy days of summer, but as a mom, small business ownerand recovering insomniac, I recognize that a routine is vitally important toeveryone's well-being. We all benefit from having a Routine, a reasonable yetnecessary set of tasks and expectations for certain times of each day. August brings regular bed- and wake-up times, routine chore completion and basic hygiene without nagging, and regular office hours for me and my clients.  Sit down with family members and discuss what needs to happen every morning and evening, and incorporate those tasks into your morning or bed-time routines now.

Cool new stuff and gadgets:

Book lights for bedtime reading; post-it notes or colored index cards for every imaginable application; 5-subject notebooks to keep lists for all your projects in one location; a new Websters Dictionary (and yes, Ginormous is now a real word); comfy new ergonomic back packs or messenger bags for toting your stuff:  stores are bursting with problem-solving gadgets and back-to-school stuff. My all time favorite tool is a dry erase marker - Leave messages for family members on thebathroom mirror, whether "Pick up the kids at soccer practice" or "Comb your hair!". Wipes right off, and the kids use it, too!

Learn something new:

Education is important.  Knowledge is power.

The world is full of wondrous things, and now is a great time to commit to learning something new. My learning goals for the Fall include learning how to knit and meditate (though certainly not at the same time), plus 5 books recommended to me by people I respect.  Goals are only dreams until you put them into action, though, so to make my goals happen, I found a local knitting shop with drop-in lessons, and I've tracked down a book that offers a 30 day approach to learning to meditate and one of the recommended books. The ideas are limitless, and you don't have to sign up for a class - your local library and the Internet have information on everything under the sun (and I know a really nice organizer who offers classes all over the South Side if you want to learn about organizing!). 

So pick a topic and get to work!

Embrace Back-To-School time whether you are going back or not. Determine the 5 or 10 simple tasks you need to do morning and evening to make your life run smoothly, and make those tasks Routine by doing them every day. Check the stores and on-line for problem-solving devices. And get out there and learn something new!