September is the new January...

…minus the snow and ice and bitter cold.

Fall is my hands down my favorite season of the year. I love cool crisp mornings, a warm sun during the day and no humidity. Football and pumpkin spice. Yes, this is my time.

It always feels like a new beginning.

I don’t have school age children but I work on a university campus so I feel that return to routine. I get the urge to buy school supplies, pull out some colored markers and fill in my planner. There’s a new energy associated with fall that is just like the start of a calendar year, but without the pressure.

Here are some of my wellness/fitness related goals.

·      Do more meal-planning and prep on the weekend. I don’t want to spend hours cooking on Sunday but it helps to have a plan for the week. And I’d like to do a little prep so that I’m not scrambling to throw together a healthy dinner when I’m exhausted after work.

·      Boost the protein in my diet. I always try to get my nutrients from food but this one is a bit of a challenge. I’m going to research protein powders and try some in my smoothie in the morning.

·      Go hiking somewhere beautiful when the leaves change. Fall is the perfect time for outdoor exercise.

·      Indulge in a luxurious spa treatment. I have a gift certificate for a local day spa that I haven’t used yet and a facial/massage/hot stone something-or-other would make a great weekend activity.

·      Make roasted pumpkins seeds. They’re easy, yummy and nutritious. And you have to carve a pumpkin to get to them.

·      Sit by my fire pit. Drink red wine. (Is that a wellness goal? Sure. File it under mental health.)

Do you like fall as much as I do? What are your goals?