Everyone knows the holiday season is hectic, but September sneaks up on you with its busyness barrage.
Why is September so busy?
- Work Rhythms Change. Summer brings a slower pace to work as people enjoy vacations and pleasant weather. In September, most people are back to a regular pattern, and the rate of work picks up.
At Leadercast, this September is exciting and busy. We are finalizing the details and partnerships for our Leadercast Women 2022: Amplify event (November 9, 2022). We are launching Leadercast 2023: Human Intelligence (May 3, 2023). Our fourth Studio Sessions for 2022 will drop on September 28, and we are knee-deep in planning the relaunch of a weekly podcast.
Your work is probably similar. - Family Rhythms Change. As the sun sets earlier, the schedule of every family member changes.
Our team has many people with kids. Kids’ extracurricular activities and school events remove a lot of margin from the calendar. Not to mention, many volunteer and faith-community activities also pick back up in the fall.
- Seasonal Rhythms Change. The cool nights usher in new deadlines.
If you want to go apple-picking, you got to get it done. If you are a college football fan (Go Bucks!), there go four hours on a Saturday. If you own a house, the leaves need raking, and that outside project you were planning to do now has actual parameters.
So what do you do with this?
First of all, you have to acknowledge that it is real. Acknowledge it so that you can deal with it. Denial that the pace of life just changed will not get you anywhere.
Second, be mindful of how busyness impacts your relationships. Gandhi wisely said, “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” And John Mark Comer wrote, “Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.”
There is a difference between busyness and hurry. Busyness can lead to hurry, but it doesn’t have to. Hurry is a soul problem that negatively impacts our relationships.
Guard your relationships as the pace of life increases.
Finally, spend time discerning how you calm your inner world.
If I am not careful when things are hectic, I can distract myself with my phone. This does not calm my inner world. It usually agitates me.
What does calm my inner world?
Going for a brief walk outside to change my perspective. Jotting down the loose ends in my head, so my notepad can hold them for me. Taking fifteen minutes to shoot hoops in my neighbor’s driveway. Clearing off my desk, so it is less cluttered.
These are all personal practices that help me when the pace of life speeds up. You will have your own; the great news is that a couple of minutes can make a big difference.
Happy fall! It’s going to be good, but it can feel busy.
