Do you also feel that as the evenings get a little darker and everyday life returns to normal, you get the urge to bring some order to your life? To tackle something that's been waiting. Or just get back to routines that disappeared somewhere between holidays, late nights, and spontaneous trips.
A bit like New Year's, but better. That's roughly where "Girl New Year" comes in.
What is Girl New Year?
Girl New Year is the name for the feeling that autumn is the year's true fresh start. The feeling might linger from school days, when a new term meant new books and a fresh start. Although for me, that feeling arrived in February. I grew up in Australia and had summer holidays over Christmas and New Year's. Autumn and school start, absolutely, just not in September. đ
I've come to know the September fresh start later through my children's school years here in Sweden.
As summer ends, we want to organize, plan, declutter, read books, cook real food again, and buy stationery we probably don't need. Okay, the last one might just be me, but I don't think so đ
I like the idea of using autumn to pause for a moment. Not with New Year's resolutions and grand plans for a whole new life, but to consider what I actually want to bring into the next part of the year.
Do an autumn reset with paper and pen
Get out your Bullet Journal, notebook, or just a blank piece of paper. I made a double-page Girl New Year spread with some simple questions. You can make the same spread as me or just choose the parts that feel relevant to you.
This is what I'm taking with me.
Start with what's already good.
What has worked so far this year? What have you learned? What gives you energy? Is there a habit you actually like and want to continue?
It's easy for a fresh start to be about everything we should do differently. But there's probably a lot you're already doing that's worth bringing into the autumn.
This is what I'm leaving behind.
Is there anything that doesn't need to come along? For example, a "should" that has hung over you for far too long, or something that simply takes more energy than it gives.
Write it down and leave it behind.
More of this, please!
Now comes the most fun part. What do YOU want to fill your autumn with? Note: No "shoulds"!
More time for creativity? Reading books? Spending time with friends or family? Perhaps exercise, alone time, dinners, music, walks, knitting, or travel.
Or an hour with your notebook and your favorite pens. That's definitely on my list. đ
Write the words a bit haphazardly if you like. It doesn't even have to be a list.
Autumn's bucket list
Now let's get a bit more concrete! What would be fun to actually do this autumn? Pick mushrooms. Try a new recipe. Go back to a favorite place. Read that book that's been waiting by the bed...
Write your own bucket list and feel free to leave a few lines empty. More things usually pop up once autumn really begins.
Right now I'm longing for... I ended the spread with what is perhaps the most important question of all: What am I longing for right now?
Feel it out a bit and write it down. Big, small, possible or impossible. But preferably no "shoulds" here either. đ
How I made my Girl New Year spread
I chose soft colors that feel a bit late summer, a bit autumn.
For the spread, I used Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pens in colors 992 Sand, 228 Gray Green, and 912 Pale Cherry. For the text, I used Sarasa Sepia/black.
For decoration, I had Zephyr Bloom pre-cut tape (washi). The motifs are pre-cut, so you just lift them from the tape and place them where you want them. Easy and very effective! My book is a black Bullet Journal Edition 2.
Use what you have at home or choose your own favorite colors. There are no right or wrong answers! đ
You don't have to wait until January! If you feel like a fresh start, there's no reason to wait for a new year.
Open a blank page and start where you are.
What do you want more of this autumn?
Happy Girl New Year! đ