Don't Fall for the Autumn Urgency Spiral
Don't Fall for the Autumn Urgency Spiral
How to prioritize your well-being and avoid the fall burnout cycle
Around this time of the year, you’ll start to see a lot of brands and outlets talking about the transition to fall, and a return to “the hustle” (and/or bustle) in a way that amounts to a form of fear-mongering.
It’s all: “As the days get shorter and temperatures drop…” as if summer just drops off a cliff after August 21. Taking a step back, if we’re talking the Gregorian calendar, fall technically begins with the autumn equinox on September 22.
So while it’s true we may have to return from the summer slows and family vacations to work and school and all the rest, that doesn’t have to mean your quality of life should also take a nosedive.
To quote a PF September planning tips post from years gone by:
What if we dared to dream [we could] balance our personal lives with the important work we do professionally, as we move into the back half of the year?
So as you begin thinking thoughts of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters, be sure you don’t get caught in a productivity spiral. One more self-evident truth: You’re equally valuable in every season, and not according to how much you are (or aren’t) hustling.
September Planning Tips
Here are some planning tips for September to get you through — and thriving — on the projects that mean most to you. (We felt it when Meghan Markle said that in life we’re not just supposed to survive, but thrive.)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the return to full-throttle, plus colder shorter days, consider the thought that it might be the “rise and grind” workstyle itself that’s actually breeding your stress… And what you might replace it with:
As we hit September, there tends to be a sudden panic around all the stuff we “need” to get done (some of which we said we’d do back in January). But truth is, we likely all made some tough decisions since the start of the year, and some projects have inevitably been displaced. And that’s actually not a bad thing. Hear us out:
While we’re here talking about displacement and prioritization — if you don’t want burnout levels of stress come October or November, you’ll need to start deciding NOW which projects matter most to you. It’s Momentum Planning 101: pick your month’s goals and priorities and from there, you can more easily choose what you’ll focus on each week.
Take this transition and all the projects you’ve got on deck in baby steps. One of the main ways you can reduce overwhelm — and feel you’re making progress and achieving something tangible — is by breaking down big goals into smaller, manageable tasks. At PF, we call it chunking:
In Charlie’s conversation this week with Mo Bunnell about his new book Give to Grow, we talked why it makes sense to prioritize relationships (in life and in work). Among other things, as he puts it, one success can make your year, but one successful relationship could make your career.
After coming to terms with this month’s seasonal version of the Sunday scaries and the shift to autumn, download your free September weekly planners to help sort your real priorities, and think through how to break them down into achievable (and ideally, less scary) chunks.
Premium subscribers can access the full suite of dated planners below (now including 2025's planners!). 👇
Keep An Eye Out For…
During this August’s Monthly Community Coaching Call (MC3) we discussed the summer-to-fall transition, managing capacity and client demand, leaning into your strengths (and a sense of play) during a career transition, and what to focus on when launching a new offering. Pro and paid subscribers can watch the replay.
Eager to start visualizing your 2025 and sketching out plans to bring your best projects to life next year? If you’re an early bird planner and want to get ahead of the curve (or just ahead of the holiday shopping…🛍️) it’s the perfect time to invest in the Digital Momentum Planners (plus, the rest of 2024 included). Premium Subscribers get immediate access to the 2025 planners as a part of their paid subscription.
Yesterday officially marked the first anniversary of Team Habits. None of us could make it in our careers or businesses alone. We all rely on a team in one way or another to get our objectives to completion. Celebrate with us by making sure you’ve picked up your copy (or one for you and your team). 🥂
Coaching Support in September
Our next Monthly Community Coaching Call (MC3) will be Wednesday, September 11, 2024 11:00 a.m. PDT (for Paid Subscribers). Join us for a 60-minute call that’s a mix of teaching,
hot-support-seat coaching, and Q&A.Save the Date: Our next Quarterly Planning Session will be on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. PDT. These sessions are available as part of a Pro subscription or there will be an option to purchase these sessions individually. Stay tuned for more details next week!
Ready to Find Your Business Flow? Join our fall cohort to regain your momentum after the summer slowdown. In just 6 weeks, with a close-knit group of 10-12 entrepreneurs, you’ll create a business rhythm that works for you — not the other way around. With personalized support, we’ll help you cultivate the actions in strategy, operations, marketing, and finances that get you back on track and moving forward with purpose.
While we hope you find our free resources helpful and catalytic for your journey — if you become a paid subscriber, you are helping support our (all of us on team PF) ability to devote our time, energy, and attention to this enterprise. The work we do here wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
Premium PF subscribers get immediate access to the full year of the 2025 Digital Momentum Planners (plus the rest of 2024), which include not only the monthly, weekly, and daily views but yearly and quarterly planner pages.
Premium subscribers, your download links and additional content are below. If you don't see them, please make sure you’re logged in to your paid account.