Are You Taking Advantage of the Cusp of the Seasons to Pause And Reflect?

It’s time to plan something meaningful for the last quarter of the year

“Summer moved on
And the way it goes, you can’t tag along” — Summer Moved On, A-ha

September comes with mixed feelings.

I miss the laziness of relaxed beach afternoons and the carelessness of hot late-night talks. As I fold away my sandals and bikinis I feel a bitter taste of nostalgia. They remind me of the fact that yet another summer is gone. And so will be another year soon.

But as I start to look ahead, I also feel hopeful. As much as I love summer, I am glad that the hassle of holidays, packing, and unpacking is over. Kids are back to school, back to a more scheduled life. Autumn brings more stability and structure to my days. And I hope to have more time for myself, for my goals, for something meaningful.

It’s easy to miss this opportunity. To rush through autumn and bump right into Christmas runway anxiety. And Christmas is another season when we tend to focus more on family and friends rather than ourselves.

So now is a perfect time for everyone to take a pause, to step back and reflect, and to ask ourselves:

What is my autumn going to be about?

But I don’t have time for this, Lidia!

Right! I hear you. It is easier said than done. With a never-ending to-do list, jammed email inbox, and constantly beeping Slack notifications, you might feel like there is no time for a pause.

What if I told you that it has nothing to do with time?

What if

• you are not taking time to reflect, because you’re scared of facing regret and disappointment for how you’ve spent the first 9 months of the year?
• or you don’t want to set another goal you’ll fail to achieve?
• or you don’t want to plan another project you never gonna finish or even start?

Regret, disappointment, and failure are hard emotions to face. It’s much safer to hide behind a “no time” excuse.

The harsh truth…

…is that the more you avoid these emotions, the harder they are going to hit when they do come.

And they will come. At the end of the year. At your next birthday. Ultimately, you’ll face them at the end of your life.

So why wait?

Make the first move. Don’t just passively wait for a wake-up call. Face these hard emotions with self-compassion and kindness. Face them with the readiness to learn and change. Make a plan for something meaningful. To become better.

Regret makes us human. Regret makes us better. — Daniel Pink