TikTok's 'October Theory' Can *Finally* Help You Get Your Life Together—Here's How

Recently, I was talking with a friend about his plans for the fall. He told me that autumn is always a good time of year for him—it’s a season that usually brings some kind of transformation in his life.

As it turns out, he is not alone in this. TikTok lately has been abuzz about “October Theory”—the idea that fall, and specifically the month of October, is the perfect time to implement change in your life.

So what is the “October Theory,” and why does it ring true for so many people?

Understanding the October Theory

“October Theory” basically states that, just like New Year's on January 1st, the month of October is actually a great time to reevaluate the goals you’ve made for this year and set new ones for the year ahead. However, unlike the immediacy that accompanies New Year’s resolutions, in October you have time to accomplish goals and face challenges before the year ends. 

This takes some of the pressure off of you in a way that normally doesn’t happen with New Year’s resolutions—you feel like you’ve still got a couple of months to make stuff happen.

“October Theory” popped up in September of last year, and was possibly coined by TikToker Macy Morgan, whose video explaining her “October 1st Theory” now has 23,400 likes and over 1000 shares. A year later, there are dozens of TikTok videos explaining the phenomenon, presenting people’s differing opinions on the subject, and even relating it to major current events (like the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne in October of 2024).

The Psychological Impact of Seasonal Changes

It’s well established that seasonal changes affect many people’s mental health—everything from experiencing depression as the days get shorter and darker, to seasonal affective disorder (also known as SAD), to a literal deficiency of vitamin D because we’re staying indoors as the weather gets colder.

“Many people experience mood changes when the seasons change,” explains Amy Marschall, PsyD. “Most commonly, when we experience colder temperatures and lower light in fall and winter, this can trigger depressive episodes. 

“Additionally,” she says, “in an existential sense, reminders that time is passing can highlight the ways we have not made progress towards our goals.”

This is why the concept of October as a “second New Year” can serve as a bolstering experience for anybody who is feeling a little (or a lot) more down as the weather changes.

You’re not just waiting for the world to get increasingly dark and cold—instead, you can add meaning to these changes by setting goals you can work towards before the end of the year. 

The upcoming holidays can also be stressful for people. Whether you’re doing a lot of traveling (an inherently stressful activity, especially in the holiday season) or know that you’ll be spending a lot of time around family, the holidays can bring up some very negative emotions.

The October Theory can take the wind out of those anxiety-ridden sails by helping you focus on yourself and your well-being. Prioritizing your mental health as an October Theory “resolution” can keep you on track and better able to advocate for yourself as your Aunt Helen asks you for the thousandth time why you’re not married yet.

Motivation and Goal-Setting in October

The October Theory encourages motivation and productivity by placing the changing season in a new light. Rather than counting down the days until you’re “supposed” to make resolutions to change—and approaching that deadline with dread—this theory gives you time and space to really focus on things you’ve already been thinking about doing but maybe have been putting off. 

Rather than the stressful open-ended promise of a New Year’s resolution—one that, by making, you vow to theoretically stick to forever and is therefore nearly impossible to live up to—assigning yourself a reasonable deadline makes goal-setting much more achievable. Three months to get the hang of a better sleep hygiene routine? Sure, that sounds doable. Three months to get yourself to the gym three times a week? Absolutely, why not. Having a timeline and an end in sight makes it easier to fulfill the commitments you have made to yourself.

Looking to make some October goals of your own? Bear these things in mind:

• Keep it simple: Set goals you can reasonably accomplish in a few months. This is not the time to swear to lose 20 pounds or start waking up at 5 a.m. to do yoga before work every single day.
• Consider the season: Do you really want to torture yourself by being the only one eating a small bowl of salad on Thanksgiving when everyone else is enjoying turkey and stuffing? No—be kind to yourself and acknowledge that this is traditionally a season full of treats, and it's important to enjoy those treats (in moderation, of course, as with anything else).
• Be kind to yourself: The point of setting a short-term goal with an end in sight is to allow yourself to work up to that goal. You’re not going to change your life right away (which is what New Year’s resolutions often are). If it takes you a few months to get to where you want to be, or closer to where you want to be, that’s ok. You’ve built in that time for yourself.

Dr. Marschall has some great suggestions for making goals and staying motivated. “We hear a lot about SMART goals, which help in making goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant to our lives, and time-limited. This can be motivating because it gives us a clear picture of what we want to do. But I also like PACT goals, which are purposeful, actionable, continuous, and trackable. 

“SMART goals focus on the outcome, while PACT goals focus on the action of working towards the goal,” she explains. “For example, a SMART goal might be, ‘I want to complete a marathon,’ while a PACT goal would be, ‘I will practice running for one hour five times a week.’ Sometimes we don't achieve our SMART goals because of factors outside our control, but PACT goals instead focus on the journey rather than the destination. That's my favorite tip in setting goals—shifting focus to the journey so that you can keep working towards it even if roadblocks interfere with your destination.”

Potential Benefits of Embracing the October Theory

Having increased motivation to achieve a goal is great for your mental health. Feeling like you are actively working towards something that will make your life better can help you feel more productive and introduce a feeling of self-care. It’s always a good thing when we are prioritizing our health and happiness!

“In October, it can be a good time to get back into a project you've been neglecting or working toward a goal you might have lost track of over the summer,” says Dr. Marschall. “By making a collective effort to commit to a second new year, this can make October a time of motivation.”

In addition, pulling yourself out of the rut of your day-to-day life and committing to a new goal can feel invigorating and help you kick some not-so-great habits that you might have built up through your old routine.

Whether it’s confirming that their lives do always change during this part of the year or talking about their personal goals for this upcoming season, this phenomenon is ringing true for thousands of people on social media.

Personally, I love this idea. As someone who, as a rule, does not make New Year’s resolutions, the October Theory feels like a much kinder way to light a fire under my butt and really prioritize the things that need doing in my life. And the timing rings true—a writing project I have been working on for the better part of a year is kicking into high gear now, and giving myself an unofficial deadline of the end of the year creates space for me to do what needs to get done without placing any unrealistic expectations on myself or my process.

Criticisms and Challenges

One thing that people might find tricky about the October Theory is the way it aligns with the holiday season. While some people might see this as a natural time for exploration and reinvention, others might find it difficult to stick to goals with the interruption of holiday celebrations. If you know you are celebrating, it might not be the best time to make goals around food or weight loss, because chances are those goals are unrealistic and will only make you feel worse about yourself if you can’t stick to them with all the holiday temptation around you.

The holiday season is also a difficult time financially. Whereas at any other time of the year, your finances are usually stable and predictable, the holidays pose a particular challenge because you have to budget for travel expenses and presents. This can make financial goals harder to reach at this time of year.

Conclusion

The October Theory proposes that the autumn season is a natural time to reevaluate your life and set goals to work on before the end of the year. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, goals set in October give you a natural deadline, making it easier to plan and carry out those goals. So if you’ve ever noticed that you feel motivated in the fall to explore new challenges and make plans, you’re not alone.