Are you doing a "Winter Arc," Reader?

This trend, popularized by @carlyupgraded on TikTok, basically talks about taking advantage of the remaining quarter of the year (rather than writing off this time of year and saying that you'll start your goals in January, along with the rest of the planet). The concept reinforces that there's no need to wait for arbitrary start dates to start moving forward.

I saw this and first instinct was to eye roll about another trendy name/concept for a basic desire to self-improve or glow up. BUT the more I thought about it, the more I decided I like the energy WITH some caveats.

Here's what I like about it:

• Q4 can encourage a "f*ck it" attitude which often leaves us starting the new year feeling from behind, so I like the reinforcement that the year is far from over yet
• I tend to do better with structured "challenge"-type programs because the concrete period of time makes accountability easier
• It's open-ended in that you can craft your Winter Arc based on whatever you want to be focused on (for me, I've been paying attention to moving my body more consistently and rediscovering the fun in creating again!)

But there are two big reasons why I didn't jump into my own Winter Arc (and what I've done instead)...

First, 3 months can feel a little overwhelming and I'm about to embark on a pretty exciting but hectic fall (I'm going to be spending the fall/spring testing out new cities that I might want to move to and that combined with the holidays means a fair amount of travel logistics) and I was worried that a Winter Arc was taking on too much with already having a ton on my plate.

But second, and this one applies for any overachiever out there, I'm always a bit hesitant with these glow up, "become your best self" oriented programs because I find that us overachievers can perpetually live in a state of feeling like we always need to be working on something. It's like we're wired that you aren't good enough unless you're working towards a goal, which means that you never get to feel good RIGHT NOW. If you always need to build a better exercise habit, grow your business, figure out your acne, upgrade your wardrobe, and so on and so forth, it's like we always keep resetting the goal posts on getting to feel good.

Is this unique to the Winter Arc? NOPE. This is true of every "self-improvement," "become the best version of yourself" schtick. But I always think we need to be aware of it.

So what did I decide to do? Rather than a 3-month Winter Arc, I jumped into a self-titled "October Reset Challenge" (you can follow along on my Instagram Stories, if you're curious) where I committed to a new goal each week for the month of October. The shorter time frame made it feel more manageable and layering on goals over time kept it exciting.

But most of all going in with the frame of mind that I get to be proud of myself already and I'm implementing these new habits because I care about myself, not to fill some void in my worthiness, has helped me be kinder on the inevitable days where I've slipped up and stay motivated because I'm coming from a place of believing in myself.

It's a subtle shift, but if you're an overachiever, I think it's an unbelievably crucial one.

What do you think? Did you find that the challenge-style programs work better for you? Do you feel that need to constantly chase the goal post? Hit reply and let's talk about it!

Samantha