October screams fall leaves, pumpkin patches, and scary movies. And while plenty of people use the month to start preparing holiday wish lists and Thanksgiving to-dos, a growing chorus of influencers see it as a natural time to reset. Sure, it may seem far too early to speak of New Year’s resolutions. But these folks may have a point about the newfound potential of leaning into your motivation and taking action on goals at the start of the year's final quarter.
Using the month to reflect and implement new habits is being called "October Theory" by Gen Zers and Millennials, one of TikTok's latest self-care trends garnering massive traction across social platforms. It first popped up last fall and has been back in full force this year.
While we typically hear the importance of goal setting in the first 90 days of a job, October Theory says the last 90 days of the year also pose unique potential for a growth. It capitalizes on the finite time left in the year, serving as motivation to have a new beginning and use the last three months to think about what you want and need in your life. Seeing the year's finish line in sight might be the helpful nudge toward taking action.
“People are like…if I want to make changes in my life and improve myself before the New Year and before January, this is the time,” Chloe Van Berkel, a New York-based college student with over 72,000 followers on TikTok, in a video on the first of the month. It has acquired over 133 thousand likes and over 500 comments.
"It’s a period for embracing change and making bold decisions as the days grow shorter," another TikTok user says in a post that has been saved by over 650 people.
One fan of this theory calls October the “second New Year’s of the year” on TikTok; another likens it to the “Thursday” every week, the last day before the weekend, which may encourage reflection.
The TikToker's have "declared the month of October as a reset month," said Sisanie Villaclara, co-host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, in a recent episode. "They claim that it is an optimal month for a glow-up or a major transformation." And, to counter the dread of the sunlight hours getting shorter and cold weather coming, taking back some control before January 1st by trying something new may feel empowering. As Seacrest put it, "Starting in January is sad."
Why wait til New Year's when you can start now?! Here's how the 'October Theory' can change your goals & life 📝 pic.twitter.com/pqrLjboESM
— On Air/Ryan Seacrest (@OnAirWithRyan) October 17, 2024
With the official start of autumn, people may also be more prone to make bold decisions in their dating life and their friendships because—cue Hallmark-movies season—the holidays can bring a certain longing for connection. It's why another TikToker and October Theory fan wrote to her 76,000 followers: “There’s a collective sense of urgency to reassess goals, often encouraging reflection, taking action, and embracing the fast-paced nature of the last few months of the year.”
Alison Fragale, organizational psychologist, professor and author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, tells Fortune that while there isn't robust science around October-specific habit changes, the theory stems from the "fresh start effect."
"We like to start new goals on a day or date that feels like a new beginning or transition," she says. "Switching your closet from shorts to sweaters can feel like a fresh start—and that motivates you to recommit to being your ideal self."
Israa Nasir, psychotherapist and author of the upcoming book Toxic Productivity, sees the pearls of wisdom of the theory, especially as habits can fall to the wayside during the summer months. "Making resolutions and habit changes are a great way to prepare for winter months," she tells Fortune. "The changing seasons can be emotionally challenging and people can struggle with motivation. Renewing your commitment to your goals is a good way to go into the winter season with a plan, accountability, [and with] something to look forward to and to work on."
For example, let’s say you want to pitch a project to a new team at work and realize you have less than three months to get it in this year’s review. That might be just the kick in the pants you need, right? It's the same idea if you’ve been saying you’ll start an exercise regimen all year; now, you might finally sign up for a gym membership.
There's something to it, at least according to Atomic Habits author James Clear, who writes in his book that forming habits that stick can take just over two months, and that you can always make changes and resolutions no matter the time of year.
How to make October Theory work for you
Think of this as a time to embrace a change or lean into goals that have taken a backseat in the preceding months. "It's never too late to renew commitment to yourself. We have the whole year to continuously grow and set goals," Nasir says. "It's not just around New Years."
Taking advantage of the theory can be as simple as integrating micro habits to bring joy, deciding to wear sunscreen every day, practicing mindfulness, or drinking more water. You might reflect on a new goal that pops up to get ahead of the January 1st pressure, like decluttering your bookshelf or reorganizing your budget. Nasir also says the theory can encourage people to find new habits "wholly rooted in joy," not merely ones capitalizing on a desire to be hyper-productive.
“When we have habits that work for us, we’re far more likely to be happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative,” Gretchen Rubin, happiness expert and author of The Happiness Project, previously told Fortune, emphasizing that bite-sized habits are a great way to start. “It’s much better to frame [your goals] as something that is concrete and manageable and you know whether you did it.”
Alexis Fernandez-Preiksa, neuroscientist, host of the Do You F***ing Mind podcast, and author of Design Your 2.0 Life, produced an episode on the very concept of October Theory without even naming it. She urged her listeners to make the most of the last three months of the year by writing down tangible habits they want to implement in different areas of their lives—financial health, relationships, work, hobbies, health, home, and self-care.
“This is for me, personally, not only my favorite time of the year, but it’s also the time of the year where I’m most excited, where I want to make the most change,” she says. “I’m not looking at slowing down, but I’m looking at…getting more inspired and being more creative.”
Fernandez-Preiksa says the aim is not making sweeping overhauls that make you feel inadequate, but instead making achievable “tweaks” within a day that feel easy and tangible to make the last quarter of the year the best one. For example, if you want to be a runner, you can try running one mile a few times a week. If you want to feel better about your space, you can add clothes to a donation box each week. Or, if you have been strained with stress and need to improve your outside-of-work time, you can commit to a five-minute meditation in the morning.
“When we have to put in too much conscious effort to make a change, it’s exhausting,” Fernandez-Preiksa said on the podcast. “You want to make a change, have it turn around and become a subconscious pattern like brushing your teeth.”
Here are some questions Fernandez-Preiksa recommends you ask yourself when finding micro ways to improve your final quarter of 2024 and instill joy into your life:
- Who am I eager to connect with before the end of the year that I don’t usually connect with?
- What is a fun activity I can plan to do weekly?
- How can I organize my space to make me feel better?
- What is a hobby I want to do during the holidays?
The kicker is that the beginning of the calendar year is not the only time to reevaluate your goals and make habit changes. For some, before the winter blues may be just the time to make subtle changes to get ahead of the New Year.
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