I’ve always hated August. When I was growing up, it represented the end of summer break. In high school, the 15th brought “three-a-day” football practices. As a sales professional, decisions were always pushed to September when people got back from vacation. Finally, living in Florida … well, you’ve got to experience the August humidity to fully understand the misery.
In the last several years, August has become one of my favorite months. Nothing has really changed – it’s still boring, decisions are still pushed, and I still sweat all day, every day. So, as I was walking our dog Tucker last Wednesday, I was pondering why I’ve changed my attitude toward this time of year… and here is what I came up with:
- Anticipation of football season and the fall. With information at our fingertips and retailers creating urgency for every season, August has captured a sense of anticipation. The autumn beers are out, the pre-season college football debates are starting, and preliminary discussions about Halloween and Thanksgiving are popping up. Everyone in the US seems to love the fall, and I think the news providers and retailers are capitalizing on that, which I love because it’s making this treacherous month enjoyable.
- It’s the laziest month of the year. Every year when the holidays are over, I get excited about catching up in January and February when “there’s nothing to do”. I don’t know about you, but my January and February always end up in chaos, and I get no rest. August is different. Everyone seems to slow down. Many people are on vacation, there aren’t many major events other than back-to-school preparation, and the heat forces us to slow down. August brings a cool combination of productivity and relaxation that no other month brings.
- The heat. The miserable heat. I’ve actually learned to appreciate it. I still walk to my office, but I leave at 6:30 and smell the intensity of the Central Florida humidity. I love the feeling in the air after one of our afternoon downpours – it’s one of those connections to being a kid and getting back outside after the storm. Even though I’m sweating all the time, I’ve learned to appreciate the jungle in which we live. I couldn’t do it all year, but I know fall is around the corner (see #1 above).
You’ve got about half of August left to enjoy – get out there and enjoy it; or just lay around a be lazy. Either way, hopefully you’ll appreciate this month for what it is.
