The stadium vibrated as thousands of voices rose together.
Behind a procession of flags, the athletes stepped onto the field.
And then, the Olympic flame, carried on its long journey to the Games, reached the stadium. Careful hands carried it, a tiny beacon drifting toward the cauldron.
The crowd watched. The flame caught. The Games had officially begun.
Two weeks later, all eyes rested on the cauldron once more. The athletes were gathered. They had completed their competitions. But the crowds and athletes weren’t leaving yet. Everyone was waiting for this moment: the closing ceremony.
An Olympic flag was handed to the next host city. Then, the flame in the cauldron was put out. The Games had officially ended.
Ceremonies are powerful, and not just during global competitions. They can act as checkpoints in your own life, makers along your health journey like milestones on a map.
Have you spared time to celebrate your summer successes (even if they seem small) and intentionally pivoted into fall? If not, I think this blog will convince you that you are worth a special End-of-Summer Ceremony. And reaching your goals may even depend on it.
Why Does a Closing Summer Ceremony Matter on Your Health Journey?
A few weeks ago, I sat by one of our public pools as kids splashed and screamed, indulging in the final hot days of summer.
Two moms sat on the edge, having a conversation that I’m sure you’ve heard every year:
“I can’t believe summer is already over!” one said.
“Yeah, I have nothing prepared for the school year. This summer went by so fast,” the other said.
Seasons in our lives rush and blend, one into the next. It happens so quickly, we can feel like a wedding can that’s tied to the bumper of a car, bouncing and dragging behind it. Time can slip under us so fast that we lose our footing.
Meals are rushed. Workout plans go out the window. The health goals we’ve dreamed of for months just can’t keep up.
But creating an End-of-Summer Ceremony is like sticking a stake in the ground and stopping, even just for a few hours, to pause, celebrate, and then get our footing back.
Marking the end of summer with a ceremony,
- Gives us a moment to pause so we can reflect on what just happened: This is mentally grounding.
- Allows us to celebrate and remember what we’ve done: This is motivating.
- Helps us shift gears: This provides us with mental clarity.
Grounded, motivated, and clear on our goals. That’s a great starting point for a new season.
Ideas for Your End-of-Summer Celebration
Your celebration has no rules. It’s purpose is to give you space to pause, celebrate your victories, and reset before fall breezes in.
Your options are endless. But here are a few I’ve heard of over the years:
- Going out for dinner at your favorite restaurant with your family and each sharing the thing you’re most proud of that you did that summer and one goal for the fall.
- Walking with a friend in your favorite spot and sharing what was most challenging and how you got through it. Then talking through how you want to take care of your health this fall.
- Buying a new beautiful dress that fits you perfectly or having your favorite dress tailored to fit you perfectly. Then wearing it to a cocktail bar with your besties to share your hopes and dreams for the next season.
- Paddleboarding or kayaking, and having peaceful time to yourself to think over the past three months and what you want for the next three.
- Waking up for the sunrise on the last day of summer and giving yourself hours of uninterrupted time to journal and plan.
- Printing out all the pictures of summer and reflecting on the memories you made. This can be a powerful catalyst to drive you into the next season, shifting your perspective to realize “my health and my weight is really ultimately about making these memories and being able to feel like I’m a part of my own life, not trapped in self-consciousness or dishealth.”
Your End-of-Summer Ceremony can be as simple or extravagant as you wish. Just remember, it’s there to quiet the chaos, not add another task to your list. If you’re overwhelmed between seasons, keep things simple. Make some coffee, grab a notebook, invite a friend or partner if you pleas, sit on your backporch, and answer these five questions:
- What is one way I lived or one decision I made this summer that made me feel great?
- Why did it feel so good? What did it add to my life?
- How do I want to feel this fall?
- What is one habit I will prioritize to help me feel that way?
- When life gets bumpy and I fall out of the habit, what can I tell myself to gently get back on track?
How to Set Goals for the Fall Season
Time and time again, we see that lasting results require lasting change to our habits and lifestyle. It’s common sense: If you want to change your body, you have to your habits.
But those changes don’t have to make your life harder. In reality, once theyre habitual, they’ll make your life a lot easier! As healthy habits work on autopilot, you’ll feel all the benefits of making good choices. You’ll feel rested, strong, confident, energized.
So, instead of searching for a drastic diet or an intense routine you can barely maintain, ask yourself, What changes could I realistically see myself doing years from now?
Look at your actual life. How much time do you have to cook? When do you have the most energy for workouts? What does your sleep look like? What responsibilities are you committed to right now?
This is one of my favorite parts of working with people through LEAN.
There’s this moment of realization when they make the changes we suggest, but they’re suspicious. They don’t feel like these changes are hard enough to actually work.
And then, they take their measurements and they step on the scale at the end of the program, and they realize, This did work! And it’s not as hard as I thought. And I really can do this! Because I’m not doing something crazy forever, or something that I hate. I can keep this up for, like, forever!
Little changes can make a huge impact, and it’s lifegiving for me to watch people realize that. It’s a moment of freedom that I get to witness with hundreds and hundreds of people, month after month.
In LEAN, we help you fold healthier habits into the life you already have.
Maybe you’re sick and tired of eating the same chicken breast for lunch, so you find a quick high-protein meal you actually enjoy. Maybe Monday nights are chaotic, and discovering a five-minute seafood taco dinner means you no longer default to pizza.
These small solutions will completely change the way you live. That’s our heart in LEAN. We take your goals and turn them into practical changes that fit your schedule, your challenges, and your season of life.
So, when you’re making goals for fall, start with your real life. Find the changes you can sustain. Start heading in the direction you want to go.
