Today is the autumn equinox. The light has turned more golden, slanting longer shadows across the ground. Today equal light, equal dark. Then the days start tipping toward night. Most of the leaders I work with treat fall like a sprint to the finish. Q4 targets. Year-end reviews. One more push.
But the season is doing the opposite thing. It’s letting go.
There’s a version of high performance that only knows how to add. More effort, more hours, more grip.
And there’s a quieter skill most people never get taught: what to put down.
The story that you have to earn rest. The identity you outgrew two roles ago. The standard you set at 28 that no longer fits the life you actually have.
None of that falls away on its own. You have to notice you’re still holding it.
So before you white-knuckle into Q4: what are you carrying into fall that was meant for a different season?