There’s no doubt that hearing that summer is coming to a close is a tough one. Summer is traditionally the season that we all love the most. It’s when we feel our happiest, our systems flooded with Vitamin D thanks to all the sun exposure, and the days feel long and glorious. It feels like we have more time when it’s still light at 8pm, even though the hours in the days don’t change.
So saying goodbye to all of that is tough, for sure. Packing away the seasonal summer gear into the attic for another year feels akin to packaging away the source of your happiness; well, it does in your more melodramatic moments, anyway. Don’t worry, we all have them.
Nevertheless, summer has to end, fall has to be welcomed, and winter beckons on the horizon. When you’re of a planning mind, the end of August/beginning of September raises the question of when you’re going to start planning for winter.
Why Plan For Winter?
Winter is a tough season. It’s tough on your body – no one is looking forward to developing acres of dry skin, though we all know it’s going to happen. It’s especially tough on your home. Winter is the season of freezing rain and snow; of tasks like applying electric heat tape to protect the inner workings of your home, and checking your insulation is going to keep your home warm. Winter is the season of chaos.
And you’re a planner. So chaos is the enemy. It must be defeated. So that means the majority of people with a Type-A, planning kind of personality will plan for winter. They will plan for all those little home improvements that need to be made; perhaps even get a start on their Christmas shopping; finalize their plans for Thanksgiving. Planning for winter, for some of us, is as natural as anything – but there is a drawback to this.
Don’t Start Too Soon
Launching into your winter planning the moment the calendar ticks over to September 1st isn’t a good idea. Yes, you should get started early. Yes, you’re going to have to think about Halloween and all the associated fall activities we tend to enjoy. But don’t do it too soon.
The weather doesn’t know when the seasons change. The first few weeks of September are usually still warm; they still feel like summer even if the date disagrees. Sure, the nights begin to close in a lot sooner, but the evenings they bring forth at least tend to be warm.
If you launch right into planning for winter too quickly, then you deny yourself the chance to enjoy the last blasts of summer. While planning is a good thing and your organizational skills are to be commended, you’ve still got plenty of time. So give yourself a couple of weeks’ break.
When Should You Begin?
As a rule of thumb, go by the official first date of fall; the 22nd of September. That still gives you plenty of time to get your prep for the colder seasons done, but without losing out on those last glorious days of summer.