“Wait, did you actually give me the parking pass?” I asked and searched frantically through my bag for it. “Yes, Leslie, you took it,” he replied. I smiled and explained, “Sorry, I was so preoccupied when I came in that I just don’t remember.” Earlier this week, I set up my booth in a hotel ballroom the night before a conference. It was a process to find the room and figure out how to get my heavy boxes of books up to the second floor. Fortunately, I found someone to bring a luggage cart but I dropped something important in the mental-tug-of-war over details.
Literally, because I never did find that parking pass. Last week, I took pages of notes on a group call and neglected to write the date for our next meeting. My brain, normally quite reliable had quietly reached its limits. I’ve learned to see this as the warning sign it is. That my to-do-list is winning and without intervention, I’ll be a crispy Grinch by the holidays.
Many of us slip excess responsibility into our routines and stay overwhelmed at the end of the year. But this doesn’t have to be an annual burden, you can pause and disrupt the pattern.
The Q4 Scramble is Real
This time of year, back-to-school activities and childcare transitions still nibble at the edges of our consciousness. And calendars. It’s also event season. More events on the calendar lead to more time planning, commuting, preparing and following up. Holidays are also near. Which adds emotional weight to delight your family in concert with your professional deadlines. Basically, it’s a lot and it’s all time sensitive.
Reconcile Hope with Year End Reality
If you had big plans for this year, well, there’s not a whole lot of 2026 left but remember, a lot changed from when you made “the plan” to when you had to implement it.
Conditions rarely play out the way we expect. Sometimes, outcomes will exceed your expectations. If not, it can be demotivating when you realize “the thing” that felt so important, isn’t going to happen on your preferred timeline.
Edit Your Goals if Needed
Have you rocked it this year? Delightful. Celebrate it, savor it and think through what went right. If you haven’t done what you hoped for, yes hold yourself accountable to the commitments you made to you but remember the unforeseen challenges.
Context is an important guide through self-reflection. Including your energy and health, family health, macro conditions and other responsibilities. As you journal or otherwise document what matters right now, decide if that original goal still makes sense. If so, adjust your timeline for it, seek help to accomplish it or consider revising its scope.
Get Support for Financial Goals
If you own a business, have revenue or operational responsibilities in your career, you may also be worried about financial projections. This is the time we pull our magic wands out and make assumptions about next year. Even when what happened this year doesn’t make any sense yet. If you envisioned more revenue, financial freedom, a better budget or savings, you’re not alone.
Perhaps the weight of the current economy and sky-high costs are dampening your imagination. Let’s get real, kids are expensive and our finances have profound implications beyond our current comfort. So, invest in expert help. Whether that’s your tax professional, CFO, long-term planner or if that’s you, get up close and personal with your spreadsheets. Revisit what you can and can’t change or reallocate now.
Take a (Ruthless) Calendar Scan
Scan your calendar through the holidays for activities that don’t fit your current priorities. Do you have obligations that really aren’t time sensitive or suitable for short turnaround? For example, if that networking conversation is designed to open a door it’s important but follow through is required. If that conversation starts in November, is it realistic to nurture its full potential before the holidays?
If the answer is no, ask yourself, is this still the best use of time during the limited year end window? If not, reschedule it for January. Or eliminate it altogether with transparency about why. While you’re thinking about your calendar, start to talk with your family about the holiday logistics and ideally how to streamline.
See Shades of Gray
Motherhood, parenting, and caring for aging parents will transform your relationship with black-and-white-thinking. Outcomes alone are rarely a fair assessment of your efforts so, give yourself the gift of seeing nuance. How did you grow? What lessons have you learned? What development and milestones for your children or family have you supported? Growth doesn’t stop when we exit school, and even when you feel tired or disappointed, most of the time there’s important self-development underneath it.
Focus on the Possibility
One of my favorite books, “The Art of Possibility” was introduced by a former mentor and manager. I saw the co-author, Benjamin Zander speak and later read his co-author and wife Rosamund Zander’s “next step” book “Possibility Thinking” that went even deeper on the key concepts. I’m not saying just paint a rosy picture when there isn’t one, but look for those silver linings through life’s plot twists. Some other favorite books to uplift are, The Inner Game of Tennis, The Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Make Time for Your People
When is the last time you saw or spoke with one of your besties? In the top third of the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs framework is “healthy adult relationships” yes, that includes your partner if you have one. However, it’s bigger than that. Strong relationships with friends, family members and loved ones provide buffer through life’s friction.
They can also lend important perspective so, seek input, advice, and observations from people you trust. Including mentors, friends, sponsors, or colleagues in your professional life.
Dial up Self-Care
Do your needs, values and actions match? Many of us get out of sync with ourselves by the end of the year. Reconnect by making more time for your mental, physical and emotional health, even if it’s in small stages.
Take the walk, call the friend, make space for the deep breaths throughout the day. Better still, reflect this need with a block on your calendar. Don’t skip your workouts, have the meals that nourish you, get rest and sleep so you feel restored and ready for the new year ahead.
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