Blog Series: Embracing the Changing Seasons Part 2

 

Part Two: Looking Ahead — Refocusing to Finish the Year Strong

As fall deepens and the year begins its final chapter, we’re given a valuable opportunity: the chance to refocus and finish strong. While the earlier part of the year may have brought progress, setbacks, or distractions, what matters most is what you do now. The final months can become your most powerful when approached with clarity and intention.

Reflection (explored in Part One) helps us recognize what worked and what didn’t. But forward momentum requires more than recognition—it requires Emotional Dexterity. In Beyond Emotional Intelligence: Never Have Another Bad Day! I outline how Emotional Dexterity allows you to consciously shift from emotional drivers (fear, stress, overwhelm) to emotional creators (curiosity, gratitude, determination). This shift provides the emotional fuel needed to stay consistent with your goals, even when motivation dips.

One practical tool is the IRRA process—Identify, Release, Replace, and Act:
- Identify the emotions or habits that are holding you back. Are you procrastinating out of fear of failure? Are you allowing busyness to disguise avoidance?
- Release the weight of those emotions by reframing them. Fear may point to areas where growth is possible. Overwhelm may signal the need for better boundaries or priorities.
- Replace the driver with a creator. Instead of letting stress lead, invite curiosity: What small step can I take today? Instead of guilt, embrace gratitude: I still have time to make meaningful progress.
- Act with consistency. Small, intentional actions compound. Just as autumn reminds us of harvest, your steady efforts now will yield results, even if they’re seeds for the year ahead.

This final season is not about cramming or rushing—it’s about alignment. Ask yourself: What unfinished goals matter most to me right now? Then focus on those. Perhaps it’s completing a project, strengthening your health, or spending more time with loved ones. Emotional Dexterity reminds us that alignment—not pressure—creates sustainable progress.

As the days grow shorter, let them remind you that endings are also beginnings. By finishing this year with clarity and presence, you not only honor the goals that still matter, but you set yourself up to enter the new year with momentum and confidence.

✨ This is Part Two of a Two-Part Series on the Changing Seasons. If you missed Part One, be sure to read it for reflections on letting go and harvesting lessons as summer shifts into fall.

About the Author & Stay Connected

Dr. Drew Gold is an Associate Professor of Management at Saint Leo University and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina.
His areas of expertise include technology and innovation management, research methods and statistics, strategic management, and personal and professional development.
He has spent over a decade developing his concept of Emotional Dexterity, which is reflected in his book “Beyond Emotional Intelligence: Never Have Another Bad Day!”

Dr. Gold is married and lives with his wife and two crazy cats in Tampa, Florida. He loves to travel and is a master scuba diver trainer and loves college sports, especially his Ohio State Buckeyes! O-H-

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#FinishStrong #YearEndGoals #IRRAprocess #EmotionalDexterity #MindsetMatters #GoalGetter #RefocusAndThrive #NeverHaveAnotherBadDay



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