Happy Friday 👋 !

Q4 is underway … the final stretch of 2025 😲. For those of you counting (and I know many of you are), there are only 61 workdays left in the year. And, really, there's less as you’re probably taking some holiday in December.

How does that feel? Exciting or nerve-wracking? Or is panic setting in?

The last quarter often feels like a sprint and a marathon at the same time. You’re juggling year-end goals, unfinished projects, new opportunities, and maybe already planning 2026. It’s easy to slip into autopilot or overwhelm.

Summoning your adaptability can really help you make the most out of Q4 as you navigate the changes - big and small, expected and unexpected, so you can shift from just surviving the last quarter of the year to actually thriving.

Below, I’ve pulled together 10 AQ-powered tips to help you maximize the next 61 workdays.

Let's go!

1. Stay the Course with Grit

Distractions will multiply in Q4 and obstacles will appear whether they are surprises from your clients (good or bad), staff changes, budget shocks or something completely unexpected. Grit - your passion and perseverance to achieve goals - helps you stay focused on what matters.

👉 Write down your top three priorities for the rest of 2025 and commit to completing them. What are 3 actions that you'll take next week to move these priorities forward?

2. Flex Your Thinking with Mental Flexibility

Q4 rarely follows the plan and with time running out to hit 2025 goals, you may need to seek new perspectives or opinions to get the job done. Mental Flexibility helps you ask: What other paths forward exist?

👉 If you see yourself hitting the same wall, explore detours that still move you toward your goals. Ask others "How would you approach this problem or challenge?" so your getting new perspectives to consider.

3. Anchor in a Positive Mindset

When deadlines loom, it’s tempting to focus on problems. Remember, though, you're in your role to solve problems. Focusing on the positive aspects of the challenge and the potential outcomes will help you get to the finish line with some energy to spare.

👉 Reframe “This is a complete mess!” into “Everything is figureoutable.” as Marie Foleo teaches. A positive mindset fuels creativity and confidence.

4. Bounce Forward with Resilience

Not every project will land. Not every goal will be reached. Not all news will be good. Resilience is your ability to recover quickly, learn from setbacks, and keep moving forward. It’s not about avoiding difficulties, but about turning challenges into fuel for growth.

👉 Build reflection into your recovery process by asking: “What worked? What didn’t? What can we try differently next time?” and turn the setback into data and insights to help you deal with the next curve ball that comes along.

5. Let Go with Unlearning

So much has changed in 2025 already particularly with the rapid expansion of AI. What worked earlier this year may not serve you now and probably won’t in 2026.

👉 Identify one habit, process, or routine to release so you can make room for something more effective. (I definitely have more than 1 habit I need to let go of!)

6. Steady Yourself with Emotional Range

Q4 is a roller coaster. A missed target, last-minute client demands, or shifting priorities can easily spark frustration or stress. This is where Emotional Range matters—your capacity to feel emotions without being hijacked by them.

👉 Tip: When a negative trigger hits, use the 90-second rule. Pause, breathe, and let the initial emotional wave pass before responding. That small space gives you back control—and helps you turn a reactive moment into a constructive one. Check out Dr. Jill Bolte’s explanation of why this works in her short video What To Do When You Get Triggered.
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7. Fuel Progress with Hope

AQ Hope is the mindset that tomorrow can be better—and that your actions make a difference in getting there. It’s not blind optimism; it’s a belief that fuels persistence through challenges. For example, a team under pressure to hit year-end targets might lose momentum if they only see the deadline. But when reminded of the bigger purpose and how their work impacts clients, communities, or innovation, energy shifts from stress to possibility.

👉 Remind yourself and your team of the vision beyond the immediate tasks. Include this reminder in weekly meetings or updates, along with a few concrete actions that show you’re making progress. You might even add your mission to your email signature. Hope is contagious, and it sustains progress when pressure is high.

8. Optimize Your Work Environment

Look around at your workspace. Our surroundings either fuel us or drain us. That overflowing inbox, the desk covered in sticky notes, or the dozen browser tabs open? They quietly chip away at our focus. (I’m speaking from experience here!)

👉 Give yourself a reset. Clear one drawer, close the extra tabs at the end of the day, and schedule “focused time” on your calendar for deep work. Small changes in your environment can create big changes in your energy. (This is definitely on my own to-do list!)

9. Prioritize Team Support

At the end of the game, just before the buzzer rings, you want your team firing on all cylinders. That takes more than individual effort—it demands each member bringing their best game and backing each other up. In Q4, success isn’t about pushing harder alone; it’s about amplifying collective energy and making sure no one is left carrying the weight by themselves.

👉 Try a quick “What’s one thing you need right now?” round in your next team huddle - and make sure you share what help you need. You’ll be surprised how often a small act of support keeps the whole group moving forward. Sharing the load keeps the energy high all the way to the finish.

10. Balance Pressure with Work Stress

With heavy workloads at year-end, Work Stress can easily spike. Yes, a little stress is healthy. It sharpens focus and drives urgency. But when the load grows too heavy, it shifts into overwhelm, drains energy, and pushes you towards burnout. The key isn’t eliminating stress (and this is almost impossible to do, isn’t it?). It's keeping it in the productive zone where you feel motivated, not crushed.

👉 Notice your overload signals like irritability, fatigue, or missed deadlines. Then intentionally schedule recovery breaks. Get up, walk around the block, do 10 push ups (my current "go-to"), meditate, or send a message to someone and tell them you’re just thinking about them. These all help in relieving stress so you can get back on track with more energy and clarity.

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📝 Wrapping It Up

These 10 AQ levers aren’t abstract ideas — they’re daily choices you can lean on in the last workdays of 2025.

Remember:

📌 Grit keeps you moving.

📌 Mental Flexibility opens new paths.

📌 Mindset positively reframes challenges.

📌 Resilience transforms setbacks.

📌 Unlearning creates space for growth.

📌 Emotional Range keeps you steady.

📌 Hope fuels persistence.

📌 Work Environment supports focus.

📌 Team Support multiplies strength.

📌 Work Stress can be harnessed, not feared.
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Imagine closing the year not drained, but energized because you chose to embrace change and adapt with intention. How great would that be?

✨ Reflection Prompt:
​ Which of these AQ practices will you lean into most to help you finish 2025 strong?

👉 Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear it.

Have a great weekend!

Ann
​www.adaptsuccess.com​

Gear Up for Change is your weekly dose of practical wisdom for unlocking adaptability and thriving in an AI-accelerated world. Forward this to a colleague who needs to hear this message and they can subscribe here.

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Want to Gear Up for Change Faster? Here are 3 Next Steps:

📌 Get Your FREE AI Leadership Edge Scorecard. How prepared are you to lead your team and thrive through change? Find out in less than 5 minutes.

📌 Measure Your AQ Take a 25-minute assessment to discover your Adaptability Quotient (AQ). Learn how to thrive in times of change and create a strategy for your growth. Gear up for the rest of 2025 using our companion AQme Workbook. (Tip: check with your manager -- you can probably expense this!) Learn more here.

📌 Make Change Part of Your Team’s Agenda Want to empower your team to navigate change more effectively? Hit reply and tell me about your team's main challenges and disruptions, and we'll set up a call to outline a tailored workshop for your next offsite.

Issue #50, 3 October 2025