The year-end push.

There are just 16 working days until most of us log off for the December break.
Think about that. 
Just 16 days.
Three weeks.

And the pressure is palpable in almost every conversation I’ve had with leaders this past week.

That rising knot in the stomach:
There’s no way I’m going to get all this done before we close.
I’m so exhausted from the last 11 months I don’t know how I’ll make it to the finish line.
If one more client loses their temper, I might actually cry.
My team is running on fumes, but the deadlines keep piling up.
I can’t tell if I’m overwhelmed or just numb at this point.

The metaphors of pushing boulders, spinning plates and herding cats are flying everywhere.

You can feel it in team meetings, in Zoom calls, in late-night emails and weekend “quick updates.”

And while everyone wants to finish the year strong, I keep wondering whether the stress is actually helping anyone… or just grinding people down.

Yes—the year-end is a big corporate and  psychological milestone.

But is running yourself, your team and your suppliers into the ground for an arbitrary date worth it?

The business will still be there in January.
The clients will still be there.
The work will still be there.
But your people might not be—emotionally, energetically, or mentally.

So maybe now is the moment to pause.
Take the temperature down.
And focus on what truly matters in these last 16 days.

Your team’s wellbeing.
Your suppliers’ humanity.
Your own nervous system and blood pressure.

Because when leaders panic, panic spreads.
When leaders stay centred, the whole system calms.

It’s something I speak about often with the leaders I coach this time of year.
We work on shifting the question from:
“How do I get everything done?”
to
“What must be done—and what can wait without real consequence?”

That small shift creates space, sanity and better decisions.

So here’s my invitation:
Finish the year with clarity, not chaos.
Protect what (and who) actually matters.
And give yourself permission to enter the holidays with something left in the tank.