Note 037
There is something about September that feels like a little reset.
I know technically summer isn’t over yet. We still have a few weeks left.
But tell that to the stores already filled with pumpkins, sweaters and pumpkin spice everything.
We’re trading sandals for boots.
Beach towels for raincoats.
Summer refreshers for pumpkin spice lattes.
Shorts for sweaters.
We’re watching football, planning pumpkin festivals, opening our calendars for a new school year and slowly settling into a different rhythm.
And I love it.
But this year, my overthinking mind started thinking about something a little deeper.
If fall is the season of harvest…what are you harvesting?
Because we spend so much time talking about what we’re going to plant.
New goals.
New habits.
New businesses.
New relationships.
New routines.
New dreams.
We make vision boards.
We make plans.
We say, “This is going to be my year.”
But eventually…
you have to harvest something.
And September feels like a good time to stop and ask:
What have I actually grown this year?
Maybe you’ve been working on your finances.
Are you harvesting better spending habits?
More savings?
Less debt?
Maybe you’ve been working on your health.
Are you harvesting more energy?
Better habits?
More movement?
Maybe you’ve been working on yourself.
Are you harvesting confidence?
Boundaries?
Peace?
Self-awareness?
Maybe you’ve been building something.
A business.
A career.
A blog.
A creative project.
A dream you’ve talked about for years.
Is there something tangible beginning to grow?
And if the answer is no…
Don’t panic.
This isn’t a post about beating yourself up because you didn’t accomplish everything you wrote down in January.
Life happens.
Plans change.
People change.
We change.
And sometimes the goal we planted six months ago isn’t even the goal we want anymore.
That’s okay too.
Maybe September isn’t asking you to do more.
Maybe it’s asking you to reassess.
What needs to be watered?
What needs more attention?
What needs to be pruned?
What needs to be completely pulled up by the roots?
And what…
needs to be released?
Because here’s the thing about harvesting:
You can’t carry every seed you’ve ever planted into the next season.
Some things served their purpose.
Some ideas didn’t work.
Some relationships changed.
Some goals no longer fit.
Some habits need to go.
Some expectations need to be adjusted.
And some things you’ve been holding onto simply because you started them…
need to end.
That’s not failure.
That’s growth.
Look at the trees.
They don’t apologize for letting go of their leaves.
They don’t say, “Well, I’ve had this leaf for six months, so I guess I better keep it.”
They simply let go when it’s time.
And maybe we could learn something from that.
What are you ready to let go of?
The fear?
The comparison?
The procrastination?
The spending?
The negative self-talk?
The relationship that keeps draining you?
The need to make everyone understand your decisions?
The version of yourself you’ve already outgrown?
Let it fall.
Make room.
Because you can’t plant something new while desperately holding onto everything old.
And then there is another question I think we should ask:
What are you planting for next season?
Maybe you won’t see the results this year.
Maybe you’re planting seeds for 2027.
Maybe you’re finally starting the thing you’ve been talking about.
Maybe you’re learning something new.
Maybe you’re getting your finances in order.
Maybe you’re rebuilding your confidence.
Maybe you’re taking care of your body.
Maybe you’re creating a home that feels like you.
Maybe you’re simply learning how to enjoy your own life again.
Plant it anyway.
Not every seed produces an immediate harvest.
Some things need time.
And that’s another thing my overthinking mind has had to learn:
Everything doesn’t have to happen right now.
There is still time.
There is still room to change direction.
There is still room to begin again.
There are still four months left in this year.
And those four months don’t have to look anything like the four months you imagined back in January.
So as we transition into this next season…
Before you pull out the sweaters and order the pumpkin spice latte…
Take a minute.
Look at your life.
Look at what you’ve planted.
Look at what you’ve grown.
Look at what didn’t grow.
Look at what needs tending.
Look at what needs to go.
And look at what you’re ready to plant next.
Because maybe this fall isn’t just about watching the leaves change.
Maybe it’s about asking yourself what needs to change in you.
What are you harvesting this fall?
🍂 Your peace?
🍂 Your confidence?
🍂 Your financial progress?
🍂 Your healthier habits?
🍂 Your courage?
🍂 Your boundaries?
🍂 Your independence?
🍂 Your new beginning?
Whatever it is…
don’t overlook your progress because you’re still waiting on the finished product.
You’re allowed to celebrate what’s growing while continuing to work toward what’s next.
🍂 A Note for Today
You don’t have to finish the year the same person who started it.
Some things need to be harvested.
Some things need to be released.
Some things need to be replanted.
And some things simply need a little more time.
This season, be intentional about what you carry forward.
So I’ll ask you again…
What are you harvesting this fall?
Until the next note,
Your Resident Overthinker