November, the month of challenges?

Is it just me or is there a tendency to make November a month with a lot of dedicated month-long projects associated with it? I’m not talking about the slew of National “X” Months that are promotional in nature or seek to expand awareness of something or other. I’m talking about something encouraging people to do “X” or not do “Y” for the month. I guess I’d call it a month-long challenge event, for the lack of a better term.

There’s National Novel Writing Month and its various spinoffs, such as the National Blog Posting Month that I’m taking part in.

There is Movember/No Shave November, in which men are encouraged not to shave (or at least not shave off a mustache in the specific case of Movember), though it has been attached to various men’s health issues, probably as a sort of “yes, and…” to October being dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

Then there’s No-Nut November… which I think is a parody of such month-long events. (You don’t know what that is? Either do your own googling, or be satified that you’re probably better off not knowing)

Heck, I seem to have come up with my own personal dietary/financial challenge: No drive through food for the entirety of November (though I have made the exception for McDonald’s coffee when on the road)

So, assuming its not just my imagination, why Novembmer? Maybe it’s being away from summer, and getting into colder days with less daylight, lends itself to some challenges that are more indoor in nature, or seeking to improve ones self that isn’t about physical activites.

The big holiday kick-off of Thanksgiving weekend certainly adds a degree of difficulty to the creative challenges, even more so to dietary challenges.

Are there any months long challenges you are participating in, or have taken part of in prior Novembers (or any other month of the year)?