Autumn Reset: A 3-Step Reflection Practice for Letting Go
By The Mindful Leader Team
Autumn reminds us that release is part of life’s rhythm. Just as the trees shed their leaves, leaders and teams too must learn to let go: of habits, stories, and even successes that no longer serve. Letting go isn’t weakness; it is wisdom. It creates space for rest, renewal, and what comes next.
To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.
Mary Oliver captures this with clarity in her poem In Blackwater Woods:
Reflective Journaling
Take a few quiet minutes and consider:
- What am I holding onto that no longer serves me, my work, or those I lead?
- If I trusted the natural seasons of my own life, what would I allow to fall away now?
- What new possibilities or clarity might emerge once I let go?
Trees don’t cling to their leaves. They trust the cycle. This autumn, may we practice the same—holding fully what matters, and when the time comes, letting go with grace.
This article is part of our Exercises & Practices Series where we offer unique practices designed to support personal growth and professional development for you to explore and share.
5 comments
We explored this article in our RRT gathering yesterday evening. It was lovely to see how resistance turned into curiosity, how people had fun together and were able to apply mindfulness skills to question beliefs and invite new perspectives.
Some takeaways: the poem itself can be used as a tool for reflection in the workplace, with no additions needed. Some found the discomfort of simply noticing what we cling to, and the discomfort of letting go, while others noticed the comfort that can arise from just staying with whatever is present and the resistance to let go.
We explored the capacity to say “no” in order to open space for new “yeses,” the possibility of growth, of letting go with grace and without guilt, and added the image of growing roots, essential for stability.
Someone noticed how much we could fuss over the poem itself, holding on to its words, and then, realizing: it’s just a poem. Can we also let go of it?
Overall, it’s always a nurturing experience to be with this group of wise people, always willing to let go of preconceptions and board the train toward a new direction. Thank you for those who were able to join us. Please add comments even if you did not participate. We would love to have an improved version of this practice, community crafted.
We explored this article in our RRT gathering yesterday evening. It was lovely to see how resistance turned into curiosity, how people had fun together and were able to apply mindfulness skills to question beliefs and invite new perspectives.
Some takeaways: the poem itself can be used as a tool for reflection in the workplace, with no additions needed. Some found the discomfort of simply noticing what we cling to, and the discomfort of letting go, while others noticed the comfort that can arise from just staying with whatever is present.
We explored the capacity to say “no” in order to open space for new “yeses,” the possibility of growth, of letting go with grace and without guilt — and added the image of growing roots, essential for stability.
Someone noticed how much we could fuss over the poem itself, holding on to its words, and then, realizing: it’s just a poem. Can we also let go of it?
Overall, it’s always a nurturing experience to be with this group of wise people, always willing to let go of preconceptions and board the train toward a new direction. Please leave your comments and we would love to have an improved community created version of this practice focusing on the workplace!
We explored this article in our RRT gathering yesterday evening. It was lovely to see how resistance turned into curiosity, how people had fun together and were able to apply mindfulness skills to question beliefs and invite new perspectives.
Some takeaways: the poem itself can be used as a tool for reflection in the workplace, with no additions needed. Some found the discomfort of simply noticing what we cling to, and the discomfort of letting go, while others noticed the comfort that can arise from just staying with whatever is present.
We explored the capacity to say “no” in order to open space for new “yeses,” the possibility of growth, of letting go with grace and without guilt — and added the image of growing roots, essential for stability.
Someone noticed how much we could fuss over the poem itself, holding on to its words, and then, realizing: it’s just a poem. Can we also let go of it?
Overall, it’s always a nurturing experience to be with this group of wise people, always willing to let go of preconceptions and board the train toward a new direction. Please leave your comments and we would love to have an improved community created version of this practice focusing on the workplace!
Reading both the article and the reflections from the RRT gathering touched me deeply 🍁
I love how the conversation captured the very essence of mindfulness — that gentle balance between holding and releasing, between roots and wings. The way resistance turned into curiosity is such a beautiful reminder that growth often begins with discomfort.
Mary Oliver’s words always bring me home to that tender truth: that letting go is not about losing, but about trusting life’s natural rhythm. I especially resonated with the idea of saying “no” to make space for new “yeses” — it’s such a powerful act of self-awareness and compassion.
It’s comforting to know that even in the workplace, we can bring this depth of reflection and humanity — learning to let go not just of tasks or roles, but of old stories that no longer serve. This article, and your discussion around it, beautifully remind me that leadership, at its core, is an ongoing practice of release and renewal 🌾
I, too, thoroughly enjoyed our discussion this week. The exercise, poem, reflection, and discussion were far deeper than I would have guessed at first blush. I've been thinking about our discussion and have done some further reflection on "letting go". My reflections were around a few thoughts I share here in case they are useful to any of you as well: (1) As a mindfulness facilitator, what can I do to personally model the "letting go" practice and lead by example? (2) How might organizational partners engage with a theme around "letting go" versus ones around "growth", "getting ahead", "moving forward", and how might I frame the exercise to anticipate such a bias toward a "growth mindset"? (3) How might I as a mindfulness facilitator hold space and support letting go, guiding reflections, and creating rituals of release? (4) What might I experiment with letting go to something I've been clinging to in order to see what emerges?
Leave a comment