Seasonal Playlist: Summer 2026

What's Playing in Your Head

A new season does not always announce itself all at once.

Sometimes it begins with a shift in your schedule.

• A new role.

• A heavier workload.

• A different pace.

• A quiet awareness that what worked in one season may not carry you well into the next.

That is where I find myself now.

As I step into a new season in my work and life, I am also shifting this newsletter from monthly to quarterly. Not because the music has stopped, but because the rhythm is changing.

And every season deserves the right playlist.

In last month’s issue, I shared that we would remix the urge to respond to every song in the room.

That still feels right.

🌟 Because leadership does not mean dancing to every track that starts playing. Some moments need your attention. Some need your boundaries. Some need to be heard without being handed the microphone.

That idea feels especially true in seasons of transition.

When life changes, the volume around us can get loud fast:

“I need to keep up with everything.”
“I cannot let anything drop.”
“I should be able to handle this by now.”
“If I slow down, I will fall behind.”

But summer has a different wisdom.

Summer reminds us that growth needs light.
It needs space.
It needs a slower pace in some places so deeper roots can form in others.

The work does not disappear.

But the way we carry it may need to change.

The Remix Is In The Everyday

You may not control every demand in a new season.

You do control the playlist you build for it.

That is where the remix begins.

A pause is not a failure to move.

Sometimes the pause is what helps you move with more intention.

🌟 Natural transitions ask us to listen differently. They ask what needs attention now, what needs a boundary, what needs to be released, and what simply needs to be heard without becoming the whole soundtrack.

Try It Today

Ask: “What season am I actually in?”​
Not: “How do I keep doing everything the same way?”
Not: “How do I prove I can still carry it all?”
Not: “How do I avoid disappointing people?”

Just:

“What season am I actually in?”

Naming the season gives you permission to lead honestly inside it.

Sometimes the answer is simple:

“This is a building season.”
“This is a stretching season.”
“This is a learning season.”
“This is a season where I need a different rhythm.”

When you name the season, you stop judging yourself by the playlist from the last one.

Tiny Playlist Builder

Every season has a soundtrack. The goal is to build one with intention.

💡 Use these prompts to begin creating a short playlist for the moments when you need a reset, or a reminder of who you are becoming.

Season Line

• What season am I in right now?

• What song helps me name it honestly?

Boundary Line

• What needs my attention, and what does not need the microphone?

• What song helps me protect my peace without losing my care?

Rhythm Line

• What rhythm will help me lead well here?

• What song helps me move at the pace this season requires?

Becoming Line

• Who is this season asking me to become?

• What song reminds me that I am still growing?

Keep the answers short.
Keep the songs honest.
Keep the playlist ready.

Because every season has a soundtrack.

And impactful leaders learn to pause long enough to choose the songs that help them keep becoming.

Coaching Corner

Short enough to fit your schedule.

Powerful enough to change how you lead.

The Mind JukeboxⓇ: A Mental Playlist for Inclusive Leaders trilogy delivers practical, high-impact insights that help you communicate better, think sharper, and lead with greater intention.

Explore the Mind Jukeboxtrilogy​

Ready to go deeper?

Schedule a complimentary 30 minute session to learn about 1:1 coaching.

Stay Tuned

Next season, we will build a playlist for the turning point between what has been and what is becoming.

Because some transitions do not ask us to start over.

They ask us to listen differently, carry less, and step into the next season with more intention.