My September Reset: 5 Intentions for Starting Fresh at 44

I decided a long time ago that September is my second January.

I’ve always used my birthday as a rebirth, a chance to begin again. Each year feels like a new version of myself is being unlocked. September is my time to shed old skin.

That doesn’t always mean planning more things or waking up earlier. It is about leaning into the things that make me truly feel whole, like keeping more promises to myself.

Sometimes that looks like doing my hair and makeup with nowhere to go. It could be buying a new outfit, not because my body has changed, but because I love fashion. It is making room for the parts of myself that can easily get lost in everything else life requires of me.

I want my inside to shine through to the outside. Authentic smiles. Uncontained amounts of joy that make you cry.

These last few months, I have been so incredibly kind to myself. I’ve started catching myself when doubt creeps in and reminding myself how bad of a bitch I truly am.

And I want more of that.

This year, I’m turning 44.

There’s something about a birthday that makes you take inventory. Not necessarily in a dramatic, “What am I doing with my life?” kind of way. More like looking around and asking: Am I actually enjoying the life I’m working so hard to build? And does the life I’ve built still reflect who I am becoming?

Those are the questions I’m taking into 44.

And I’ve already made one decision.

Goodbye, Jersey Is Naked

For 13 years, this little corner of the internet has been Jersey Is Naked.

Thirteen years.

JIN introduced me to real content creation. It gave me a place to find my voice and then use it, unfiltered. It has been home to so many different versions of me.

I’ve written about my life, my family, my opinions, what I’ve learned, and plenty of things I was still trying to figure out.

I love what I built here. And I don’t have to stop loving it to know that I’m ready for something different.

Maybe that’s part of getting older too. Everything doesn’t have to end badly for you to let it go. Sometimes something can be good to you, serve its purpose, and still not be something you need to carry into your next chapter.

So Jersey Is Naked is officially retiring.

Welcome to IshaNunn.com.

Same woman. Same stories. Same tendency to have something to say.

Just a name that feels more like where I’m going.

There is something beautifully simple about putting my own name on the door.

I Don’t Want 44 to Happen to Me

The last few years have taught me that life can change without asking your permission.

Plans change. Careers change. Bodies change. Priorities change.

And somewhere in all of that, it’s easy to slip into survival mode.

You handle what needs to be handled. You take care of everybody. You solve the next problem. You make the appointment. You answer the email. You pay the bill.

Then suddenly another year has passed.

I don’t want 44 to happen to me.

I want to participate in it.

That’s what my Second January is about.

Not becoming an entirely new woman. I like the woman I am right now.

I want to be more intentional with her.

So instead of a long list of hopes that will overwhelm me, I’ve decided to keep the list short and simple. I will focus on five meaningful intentions for 44.

1. Put my name on it.

IshaNunn.com is the first step. I want to stand confidently behind what I create, what I know, and what I have to say. After 13 years of Jersey Is Naked, I’m ready to put my own name on the door.

2. Do more things just because they sound fun.

Not everything needs to be productive, profitable, strategic, or attached to a goal. I want to try new things simply because I might enjoy them. That’s it. Fun is enough of a reason.

3. Take care of my body without withholding joy from it.

I can work toward my wellness goals and enjoy myself right now. Those two things can exist at the same time. Wear the outfit. Do my hair. Take the picture. Move my body. Feed it well. I’m not waiting for some future version of myself to deserve any of it.

4. Create before I calculate.

I love strategy. But I don’t want every idea I have to immediately become a conversation about numbers, algorithms, performance, or whether it’s what I’m “supposed” to be talking about. Sometimes I want to write the thing, make the video, cook the food, tell the story, and see where it takes me.

5. Be where my feet are.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what’s next. At 44, I want to experience what’s happening now too. Take the picture and put the phone down. Make the plans and actually enjoy them. Build for the future without constantly living there.

None of this is revolutionary.

That’s the point.

I don’t need to reinvent myself completely at 44. I want to be more intentional about enjoying the woman I’ve already become.

January gets all the credit for fresh starts. But September has always felt like a beginning to me anyway.

Summer ends. Routines return. The weather starts changing. School starts.

And for me, another trip around the sun begins.

Instead of asking what I can accomplish before I turn 45, I’m asking myself a different question:

How much life can I actually experience while I’m 44?

I sure can’t wait to find out…

@imishanunn

Wow, in 4 days another year around the sun. I have learned so many things and saw so much. Wow 44 is on the way 9/6. #virgo #birthdayloading #viral #trend #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp

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