Every January, we tell ourselves the same story.
This is the year.
New goals. New habits. New routines. New version of me.
But here’s my question: Why do we wait until January to start?
Ryan Berman has always believed September makes more sense.
“Summer disrupts our routines. We travel, take vacations, and for many of us, our kids are out of school. When our calendars loosen and September arrives, suddenly the world snaps back into focus,” the founder and CEO of the change company, Courageous, says.
“When we’re back to school, we’re back to work, and back to our routines.”
That’s why for him, September feels much more like the beginning of a new year and why his company created Courage Week, which begins September 21st.
“The idea is simple: use this moment of renewed routine to think about what you want to change; and, more importantly, what you’re willing to do about it.”
Berman doesn’t define courage as just a feeling. He boils it down to knowledge + faith + action.
“You need to understand what you’re facing. You need to believe there is a possibility on the other side. And then you have to act. If you remove one of those pieces, you’re stuck,” he says. “You can know exactly what you should do and still do nothing. You can believe in yourself but never take the leap. You can take action without understanding what you’re getting yourself into. That’s why courage requires all three.”
Courage Week is designed to be more than a January resolution you forget by February. Berman wants it to be a nudge where you spend time asking yourself: Where do I need more courage?
“Because the world needs more courage; but, more importantly, your world needs more courage,” he says.
Berman hopes Courageous helps inspire 1% of the U.S. population to be more brave. That’s millions of people with the knowledge, belief and tools to take action.
“September is here,” Berman says. “What are you going to be courageous enough to do?”
To join courage week, you can visit www.courageous.io.
Copyright © 2026 California Business Journal. All Rights Reserved.
For California Business Journal Disclaimers, go to https://calbizjournal.com/terms-conditions/.
