Fall Guidance for Impact Leaders
As energy wanes, nature shows us that practicing discernment is essential to our ability–and our planet’s ability–to keep going.
Fall is fast arriving, and you might be noticing a few things:
◯ The leaves are starting to fall.
◯ There’s a cool, dry breeze in the air.
◯ The afternoon light has changed.
◯ The rose-colored glasses are off and you’re (1) drowning in all the things you said “yes” to earlier this year and/or (2) feeling all the feels as you come to terms with the fact you won’t be able to get everything on your plan done before the year’s end.
Check, check, check…and check?
Let’s talk about why that last one is a pattern for many changemakers each fall.
As humans working to make the world a better place, practicing discernment can be challenging. Everything on our plates can feel important, urgent, and tug at our heart strings. This can lead us to say “yes” to more things than is feasible for us to do. Your “yeses” might be to your own ideas, to what others ask of you, or both.
In addition, as humans living in a culture that acts as if we exist in a perpetual summer, most of us don’t know how to work skillfully with nature’s cycles to support our personal sustainability or to steward the change we’re trying to create. These cycles include nature’s seasons–like fall–but also the seasons of our body (e.g. our menstrual cycle phases), our work, and our lives.
Perhaps for you, this shows up as saying “yes” too much in your inner or outer Spring when energy and enthusiasm are abundant, but which sets you up for burnout when energy inevitably declines in fall and winter seasons.
Or it might show up as having a hard time accepting that a cycle is going to end. Perhaps you find yourself clinging to the current year each fall, rather than adapting your plans, so that you’re set up for success when the new cycle arrives.
But luckily, we can shift this pattern by looking to nature as our guide.
In the fall, nature is finishing what it started, harvesting, shedding, and preparing for rest.
And it does this even as it suffers from environmental destruction and climate change–the things many of us use to justify the 24/7/365 urgency of our work. These crises are urgent, but nature shows us it’s impossible to have the resources, energy and resilience to continue to address these crises if we’re spending more energy than is present in the season we’re in.
In fall and its corresponding phases–like the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle or the last quarter moon–energy is waning. So it’s not that there isn’t enough energy. It’s that there’s only energy for what is essential, and we have to be discerning about what that includes.
What if instead of trying to do it all–and perpetuating our cultural myth that we live in a never-ending summer–you followed nature’s lead whenever you find yourself in the fall season of a cycle?
You might quickly find that you have more energy, vitality, and ease. And when you make this a consistent pattern over time, you’ll likely discover you’ve strengthened your ability to be an agent of regeneration for yourself and for all life on our planet.
This fall, try nature’s way.
Instead of initiating a new project from scratch, focus on what you’ve already set in motion. Instead of trying to accomplish every project on your annual plan, accept that it’s not all going to happen this year and then discern what to prioritize through the lens of fall:
Harvest: What projects already have momentum? If they still feel right, how might you follow through on these?
Prepare: What actions would set you up for success in the next cycle? Maybe you clear out tasks so they don’t rollover into the new year, plan time for rest this winter, or finally resolve that issue that’s been needing your attention all year.
Let go: What did you want to do this year, but have not yet started? What would it take to let it stay on the backburner until the new year?
Note: You can explore these questions on your own, or bring them to your team, community, family or friends for decisions that are best made together.
I get that none of this might feel easeful right now. Our culture does NOT like endings, our society is built around scarcity, and accessing our inner wisdom to help discern what’s essential can require some re-learning.
But remember, you are nature. So a deep instinctual part of you already knows how to do all of this. And whenever you need a reminder, go outside and let nature show you how.
Photo Credits: Natalie Grainger, Benigno Hoyuela
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the information provided should be construed as medical advice. If you have concerns related to your menstrual cycle, please consult a licensed health care provider.