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.