It's Productivity Season

By Jillian Broaddus and Chuck Cusumano

Although we recently posted a blog discussing four questions to ask yourself and your leaders in Q4 to maximize productivity for the rest of 2025, it may feel like the rest of the year is slipping away.  After all, with Thanksgiving a month away and the holiday season following shortly thereafter, it seems simpler to call the next few months a wash and set your sights on New Year’s resolutions, 2026 goals, and Q1 checklists.

However, October, November, and December may be your time to shine; in fact, science even says so. In a reported Forbes study of over 1.8 million projects and 28 million tasks, the anonymized data showed that fall ranks as the most productive season, with the highest percentage of tasks completed in October (9.5%). Simply put, “If we're going to be precise about it, work gets done at 11 a.m. on a Monday in October.”

Why is this so?  Here are a few guesses:

• The “dog days of summer” can sap our energy, while the crisp fall weather can reinvigorate our focus.

• Similarly, the summer can be filled with distractions: vacations, holidays, back-to-school stress, and more.  The fall reinstates a sense of routine.

• With the end of the year in sight, there is a natural urgency to complete tasks.  Deadlines are now real!

Here’s how you can embrace the fall to make the most of “productivity season”:

• Set Priorities: Often, there is an overwhelming amount of end-of-year deadlines and goals. It’s time for evaluation for every goal and initiative from the course of the year. Rather than focusing on everything, focus on one thing. What is the priority?

• Let in the Light: The season can have natural cues that make us more focused and efficient. So, let the autumn light into your workspace and get outside to feel the fall air. Let your body and brain know: It’s fall!

• Maximize Natural Rhythms: The aforementioned Forbes study also showed that we are more productive in the beginning of the week, and the beginning of the day. Our ability to complete tasks declines after lunch, and really plummets after 4 p.m. So, set your schedule up for success. Assign your most important meetings and tasks to be done during your naturally most-productive hours.

How can we further help you accomplish your end-of-year goals?  Let us know at hello@thejoshuagroup.net!