As a Canadian, when I saw the question “Is autumn the best time for a fresh start?” I thought, “Yes! Of course it is!”

In Canada, autumn means the end of summer. The long, hot days with friends at the beach or on patios are over. Now, students go back to school with new notebooks and pens. The leaves change colour, people drink pumpkin spice lattes, and wear sweaters. Everything feels new again! It really feels like the best time to start studying something new.

But then, I thought again. I realized that not everyone has the same kind of autumn. In some countries, it’s spring or even summer! So I wanted to find other reasons why the time from September to December can still be a good time to start something new.

1. A Time of Change
Even if you don’t have four seasons, September is often when people go back to work and life gets busier again. It’s a time of change and new beginnings. We can use this time to look at our goals and try new ways to reach them. You don’t have to wait for the new year to start again!

2. Start Before It Gets Busy
The end of the year gets very busy with holidays and celebrations. If you start your study habit now, it will be easier to keep going when things get hectic. Even a few minutes a day is enough to keep your “learning chain” strong. By January, you’ll already have a good routine!

3. The Best Time to Start is Now
When I was a student, my father once told me, “Cemeteries are full of people who never followed their dreams.” It sounds sad, but he meant that we should try to do the things we want in life. You don’t have to wait for the perfect time. Even small dreams, like learning a new language, are important.

So don’t wait — take the first step today! Like Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

B1 Version

As a Canadian, when I saw this week’s theme — Is autumn the best time for a fresh start? — my first reaction was, “Yes, of course it is!”

Here, autumn means the end of summer: the end of long sunny days at the beach or on patios with friends. It’s the start of school, new notebooks, and pens. It’s when leaves change colour, people visit apple orchards or pumpkin patches, and everyone drinks pumpkin spice lattes. It’s easy to see why this time feels like a new beginning — and the perfect time to start learning something new.

But then I realized that this image of autumn doesn’t fit everywhere. In the southern hemisphere, it’s spring! And in tropical countries, there may not be a “fall” at all. So I started thinking about other reasons why this time of year — from September to December — is still great for a fresh start.

1. A Time of Transition
Even if you don’t experience autumn weather, September often marks a return to routine. Around the world, people and businesses become more active again after summer. It’s a natural time to get serious and start new projects. You don’t need to change your goals completely — you can simply review your progress and adjust your plans. Many people wait for the new year to make changes, but it’s often better to start before you lose motivation.

2. Beat the End-of-Year Rush
The last few months of the year can be very busy with holidays and celebrations. Time seems to fly by, and soon it’s December! It’s hard to start something new when you’re already overwhelmed. But if you build a small, steady study habit now, it will be easier to continue later. Even doing a little each day will help you keep your “learning chain” strong. By January, you’ll already feel proud of your progress.

3. The Best Time to Start is Now
When I was in high school, I often talked to my dad about my dreams. One day, as we drove past a cemetery, he said, “Cemeteries are full of unfulfilled dreams.” It sounded dark, but he meant that many people regret not trying more than they regret failing. Dreams don’t have to be huge — learning a language or improving a skill counts too.

So don’t wait for the “perfect time.” The best time to start is always now. As Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” So take yours today!

B2-C1 Version

As a Canadian, when I saw this week’s theme—Is autumn the best time for a fresh start?—my brain screamed: ”YES! OF COURSE IT IS!”  Fall here means the end of summer, with all its long, sunny, hot days spent with friends on patios or at the beach.  It means back to school, accompanied by crisp, blank notebooks and new pens.  It also means the leaves changing colour, days at the apple orchard or at the pumpkin patch, sweater weather, pumpkin spice lattes… The delights are too many to list, but you can understand how this transition period can also be perceived as a season of new beginnings. With that in mind, you’ll excuse me for thinking that it’s the perfect time to start studying something new!

However, once I got over my first reaction, I realized that this vision of fall was very geographically limited, and didn’t necessarily apply to everyone—hello, southern hemisphere!  That’s when I decided to dig deeper to find a few other reasons why fall —or the period from September to December —is a great time to begin anew.

1- A Time of Transition

Even if you live somewhere where the seasons are reversed, or if you live in a tropical country, due to the dominance—for better or worse—of the western business world, most of our schedules are affected by the “back to serious business” month that is September.  Things tend to ramp up, and this period of transition often means the beginning of a new quarter.  Of course, we’re not businesses, but we can follow their example and take this opportunity to start something new.  That doesn’t necessarily mean finding a completely different hobby; we can simply take stock of our progress toward our current goal and try something else to achieve it faster.  Many people wait for the new year to make changes; the truth is, it’s better to adjust the course before we’ve strayed too far from the path.

2 - Beat the Rush

Whether you celebrate Christmas or New Year (or both!), the arrival of the last trimester of the year means a slow descent into the busyness of the holidays.  One moment, it seems like we have plenty of time to plan; the next, it’s already December, and our schedules are so full we would need a few extra hours each day to do it all.  Those hectic times are the worst for starting a new habit, but they don’t have to be a disaster if we already have a solid learning routine.  Even if you end up just doing the minimum not to break the chain (see my previous column on how to create your learning chain), you’ll feel much more confident with your ability to reach your goals come January. (Honestly, the only resolution you should make every year is not to make any!)

3- The Best Time to Start is Yesterday

When I was in high school, I had many dreams, which I shared openly with my father.  One day, as we were chatting in the car, we drove past a cemetery.  Seeing this, my dad pointed at it and said, "Cemeteries are full to the brim with unfulfilled dreams.”  At first glance, that might sound a bit morbid, but what my dad was trying to tell me was that dreams were meant to be pursued, and that many more people regretted not trying than those who did.  The word dream can be intimidating at times; society often teaches us that dreams must be big to be worth mentioning.  However, I think that all dreams - even the small ones like speaking a foreign language - are worth pursuing.  In other words, fall is a great time to start anew, simply because it is just that —a time to start.  Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, timing, inspiration, motivation, etc.  Just start.

As the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” so put on your shoes and let’s start our adventure!