As the days shorten, and the air shifts - yes, it's still hot, but that breeze has a hint of something new in it!- fall gently invites us to slow down, reflect, and realign. Just I'm starting to clear out and add more compost into the garden beds before planting out my winter vegetables, this is the perfect season to add a bit of structure into your life. Not rigid schedules that burn you out (yeah, I know you got excited about that fresh planner. me too me too.) but life-giving rhythms that help you feel rooted and at peace. My therapist and I were just talking yesterday about the importance of empty space and flexibility within structure.
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My sister describes my planning style "planner jail" because I have the tendency to plan my days down to the 30 min increments and I love the illusion of the control it gives me but after a while, it gets too ambitious, overgrown and packed full and it really does turn into "planner jail" and then I look at it, get overwhelmed by it all and start rebelling against my best laid plans. That's why it's so important after the unstructured joy of summer, to embrace the new pace that fall brings, to cut things back, clear things out of your schedule, and create some free space. That kind of flexible structure is sustainable. Healthy. Life giving. So as school begins and routines shift, let's let the turning of the leaves remind us that change can be beautiful when it's done with intention.
Fall is the time when nature starts letting go of things, releasing things that have served their purpose and are done, and to start exposing and highlighting the bones of the garden or forest. This transition season is an opportunity to reflect on what worked well this summer, release habits or commitments that drain your energy, and create rhythms that support your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Instead of jumping into hustle, think of this season as gently planting seeds of structure that will carry you through the rest of the year.
Structure doesn't have to mean overwhelm. It doesn't have to be planner jail. When approached intentionally, it actually creates freedom. Just like a trellis supports a vine to grow strong and tall, a simple rhythm can support your growth without confining you.
Here are a few gentle ways to insert structure into you life this fall:
- Start small. Choose one or two anchor points in your day (like morning journaling or an evening walk).
- Make it rhythmic, not rigid. Think of your structure as a flow, not a timetable. I think this was my biggest takeaway from the book Atomic Habits. Habit stacking is about slipping habits into the existing rhythms of your life instead of trying to force something to happen.
- Pair it with what you love. Again, habit stacking, but make it joyful! Light a candle, sip matcha, or put on soft music to make the rhythm feel like a gift.
- Track your wins. Celebrate the small ways structure helps you feel grounded. I learned the concept of "crushed it" lists from James Wedmore. Instead of creating defeating to-do lists that demotivate you, creating a list of all the small triumphs in your day actually builds excitement and motivation to keep going and doing. I tried it for a couple weeks and it absolutely works! it's now a habit I've inserted into my daily plan check-in at lunch.
As you start thinking about what you want your days, weeks, and months to look like during the school year, don't forget to collect your harvest!
Fall is also a time of abundance! where you get to reap what you sowed in the spring and kept going through the heat of summer (read, trials of life).
Answer some of these questions as you're journaling and dreaming:
What worked well this summer? Where did you feel most alive?
What drained you or no longer fits?
What new practices, tools, or rhythms can you introduce now? Where can you slip them in naturally?
***Hack for all you ladies out there- if you are starting something new, it will feel the easiest and most natural to start it during Phase 2 of your menstrual cycle. (That's the week after your period.) During this phase, your brain is ready to go and your body is primed for action. This is due to peaking testosterone, high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone. So choose 1 new thing to try and go for it! A word of caution about this week in your cycle is this: your brain WILL try to tackle everything at once and that can lead to burnout. ***
Focus of turning your priority into massive action steps. When it comes to everything else, remember Ecclesiastes 3:1
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."
One of my favorite quips of wisdom is this:
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu
Solomon said it this way:
"He has made everything beautiful in its time."
This reminder helps us embrace structure, not as a burden, but as a God-given rhythm. Each season has its purpose, and fall can be your time to root down in peace and prepare for growth.
I know what you're thinking, reminders are great, but where and how do I start?
Here are some supportive tools I recommend to ease you into rhythms and structure:
Peace in your Pocket mindset reset cards - These are great to pull out at lunch or in the school pick-up line and get a spiritual reminder and a practical mindset tool to help you reset, refocus, and re-energize for the rest of your day.
Blank journals are great for creating a morning rhythm of Bible study and meditation, as well as setting intentions for the day. They're also great to close your day with a gratitude practice and for unraveling a spaghetti plate of thoughts or emotions.
I have some 4x5 size as well as pocket-sized journals!
Speaking of morning rhythms, I've JUST created a brand new set of mindset cards to pull out at the start of your day to ground your day in truth and peace and set the tone for your day. They're full of journal prompts you can pair with a journal, Bible verses to meditate on, and therapy practices to set your day up for health and well-being. You can grab your Morning Matcha Cards here.