September through December has been officially named The Great Lock-In of 2026.
According to social media, these last four months of the year are said to be a time of focus and intentionality for the sake of transformation.
This transformation can be in any area of a person’s life from financial to spiritual to physical to social. It can look like a period of no extra spending, engaging a social media break, reading a certain number of books, attending a certain number of workshops or conferences that speak to a particular part of your life.
And why wouldn’t we take this time to lean into transformation? It makes sense, as we experience two seasonal changes during this time, where fall will greet us in a couple of weeks and winter will meet us before the year ends.
Past times have shown that people wait until January to begin the transformation process. This is why we see stores with huge, longer-running sales on supplements and vitamins. As well memberships to fitness centers and personal trainers offer discounted rates. However, there is something different about this season well before we get to the month of January. And even if you have not started yet, or if you did not start Sept. 1, there’s no better time than the present, right?
Before you do, take some time for assessment.
Ask yourself what would you like to transform in your life? The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 to be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is a reminder to us that transformation is not just about what happens externally. As a matter of fact, transformation is not as much about the external as it is about the internal. Transformation begins in the mind and the world can offer many ideas and influences that are contrary to God’s will. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that as we think in our hearts, so we are. In Mark 11:23 we are encouraged that when we believe in our hearts and not doubt, we can receive.
What does transformation look like for you in this season? Is it a matter of decrease in one area, so that you an increase in another? Is it a matter of allowing yourself to be still and know that God is God, as you get to know more of you are, instead of being available to everyone for everything? You get to decide what that looks like for you.
So, if you choose to engage in The Great Lock-In, lock in on your focus. Lock in on a few reasonable goals. Lock in and allow yourself to see the result that you want to have so you can take the necessary actions to get there. Cheers to the transformation!
Contact Rev. Rae Karim at rae.karim@gmail.com.
