As school districts around the Riverbend return to school, it’s a time for new beginnings.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
When I was a student, I used to love the back-to-school rush. Something about freshly-sharpened pencils and new textbooks, the promises of all the things to learn in the coming year, would get me so excited to come to school on that first day. (Yes, I know: I was a total nerd.)
Nowadays, my August is less about back-to-school and more about soaking up those last delicious weeks of summer. But still, I feel the excitement of the students and teachers in the community who have returned to school in the past week — and the parents who are eager to have their kids back in a routine. Late summer feels like the start of a new era, and there is promise in the air.
Even if your day-to-day doesn’t really change with the start of the school year, now is the perfect time for starting over. You can make new resolutions, like I did last week, or embark on new plans and adventures.
Or maybe, like me, you’re saving all the really good stuff for fall. I love fall weather, and I can’t wait for the first chill in the air that we’re bound to get soon. A big tree on my street is starting to turn red, and I’m counting down the days until I can wear sweaters and drive down the River Road to admire all the colors on the bluffs.
Fall can also be a time to reassess your priorities, which I’ve been working on lately. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget what’s actually important, but I’ve been trying to reconsider what matters to me and what should come first in my life.
If I wasn’t already thinking about priorities, the passage of time would be enough to kick me into gear. This year has flown by. I can’t believe summer is already ending. Time is the most valuable resource we have, and it also feels like we have less of it than ever before.
This is the train of thought that led to the priority reassessment. How to maximize my life, how to get the ultimate joy out of everything I do, so that I don’t waste any of it?
As it turns out, that line of thinking is bound to jinx you. I’ve been firing myself up for a week now, trying to cram as many activities and events into every waking moment so that I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. Just like August promises new beginnings, it also signifies endings. I was amped, trying to figure out how to cultivate the perfect end-of-summer vibe, and then I got hit with a cold and spent two days in bed.
Hear that? That’s the sound of God laughing at my plans.
As I caught up on some much-needed rest, I stewed at first, thinking about the time I was “wasting.” But I started to reflect on those priorities again, and I realized that my time isn’t wasted just because it’s not jam-packed with activities. In fact, that’s a pretty perfect recipe for burnout, as I discovered this weekend.
Instead, I need to fill my time with things I enjoy and the people I love. It’s not the quantity of things you do, but the quality of experiences you have with people you care about.
With our community back in school, it can be hard to find the time for everything we want to do. The endless days of summer are over until next year, and we have to work around new schedules and obligations. But that doesn’t mean we have to let go of the things that matter most to us, and we’re not wasting time when we rest. There is a benefit to staying busy and keeping your days filled with fun adventures, just like there’s a benefit to taking time for yourself when you need it.
As the school year begins, now is the perfect chance to think about your life and decide what to prioritize as we enter the final half of 2024. Personally, I’m thinking in terms of family, friends and fall fun, and I can’t wait to jump into this season with both feet. What’s on your list?
More like this:
