In my opinion, the back-to-school season really should be celebrated as the new year. Why, you ask? Well, let's start by comparing it to that January imposter.

New Year's Eve should feel like the threshold of a new beginning. But does it? Not to me. To me, that January imposter always feels like a time of mourning. What it marks is the end of something--the holiday season, and its fun, for example--not some new beginning.

In nature's scheme, January 1 isn't really the end of anything. It's the middle--of winter. In society's scheme? Same thing. For students, it's the middle of the school year. For working adults, it's pick-up-where-you-left-off time.

If I ever write a hard-boiled detective novel set in January, I'm going to call it The Big Monday.

On the other hand, let's consider early fall.

Everything changes after Labor Day
After Labor Day, the honeyed air of summer gives way to a celebrated crispness. Trees blush. The animal world puts out a burst of activity. Squirrels crank up the nut-gathering. Gophers start putting in nights and weekends, digging their burrows.

In world culture, there is no fixed idea of when a year begins. The Iranian New Year comes in spring. The Creek tribe of the southeastern United States celebrated their new year, the Green Corn Festival, in early summer. The Jewish New Year, which moves around slightly because it is figured on a lunar calendar, falls around September. The ancient Celtic New Year started in October.

For me, 16 years of going back to school in September wore a groove that has lasted to this day. When I hear "back to school" I think, "Ready, set, go!"

As a culture we try to tap the power of New Year by making resolutions. We believe that the significance of the moment can give us a good launch, like pushing off the wall when swimming laps.

I think the same strategy can apply to the other New Year: back-to-school time. Consider three rituals that are routinely practiced during back-to-school time:

1. Buying new clothes
2. Getting (re)organized
3. Making lists

Each of these can be a powerful tool for making a fresh start. Allow me to explain....