[269] 3 Lessons Moms Can Learn from Farmers This Fall

When I think of September, I don’t just think about new backpacks and school buses—I think of farmers. This is their harvest season, a time to gather what they’ve grown, clear away what’s no longer serving, and prepare for the next season. In this episode, I share three lessons we can take from farmers that will help us reset and finish the year strong. You’ll walk away with simple reflection prompts to help you celebrate your growth, focus on what matters most, and let go of what’s draining you.

Mentioned in this episode:
👉🏽 Get Stuff Done Toolkit

3 Takeaways from this episode:

1. Celebrate the harvest—pause to honor what you’ve grown this year, even if it wasn’t perfect.
2. Decide what to carry across the finish line—pick one or two things that matter most before the year ends.
3. Clear out what’s not serving you—let go of draining habits, commitments, or expectations.

Links and resources:

• Get Stuff Done Toolkit

Transcript

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When I think of September, I don't just think about school buses, new backpacks and homework folders. I think of farmers. This is a season where they're in the fields harvesting what they've grown all year. It's a busy time, but it's also a meaningful one because they're not just gathering crops, they're also clearing the fields, letting the soil reset and preparing for the season ahead. And the more I thought about it, the more I realize September can be the same for us. Hey there. My name is Toni-Ann. I am the podcast host of The Real Happy Mom podcast. The podcast for busy working moms who need more time and need help with achieving their big goals without pulling their hair out. And in this episode I'm gonna be sharing with you three lessons that we can take from farmers this fall. So the lesson actually comes from my dad. He spent his career teaching people about gardening and farming, and one thing he always told me is this: fall is just as important as spring. See, spring gets all the attention because that's when the planting happens. Everything feels new and exciting, but farmers know the truth. Fall matters just as much. Because what you do in the fall determines how well you'll be able to start again in the spring. That idea stuck with me, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized moms can learn from this rhythm too. September is our chance to pause, reflect, and really look at what's been going on in our lives and decide how we want to finish and clear out what's weighing us down. So let's talk about these lessons that we can take from the farmers this fall. Number one, celebrate the harvest. Farmers don't just collect crops, they celebrate them. Even if the year wasn't perfect, even if the weather was rough or the harvest wasn't huge, they still pause and honor what they grew, and I think we need to do the same. Maybe this year hasn't gone the way you thought, but something has grown. Maybe it's your patience. Maybe it's your relationship with your kids. Maybe it's finally getting a system in place that makes life a little smoother. It doesn't really matter if it's big or small. Celebrate it. So think about what have you already grown this year that you're proud of? Number two, decide what to carry across the finish line. In farming, the harvest season is limited. Farmers know they can't work every acre, every single crop all at once. They prioritize what's most valuable, what's ready, and what's worth their time and energy, and that's a powerful lesson for us. September gives us just a few months left before the year ends instead of trying to finish everything. What if you chose just one or two things that really matter to you? It is like a business doing a quarterly check-in. They don't try to launch 10 new products at once. They pick the ones that have the most impact. So if you could end the year with one win, what would it be? Number three, clear out what's not serving you. Here's the part. Most people forget. Farmers don't just gather crops in the fall. They also cleared the fields, old plants, weeds, anything that could drain the soil, it gets cleared away so the ground can reset and be ready for the next planting season. That's not wasted work. It's essential, and we could do the same in our lives. So think about it. What's draining you right now? What commitments, habits or expectations could you let go so you can enter the new year lighter? Maybe it's a volunteer role that no longer fits. Maybe it's overcomplicating dinner when sandwiches would work just fine. Maybe it's guilt carrying around the weight of not doing enough. So reflect and think about what could you clear away this fall so you can step into the next season lighter. So here's what I want you to do this week. Grab a notebook and answer those three questions. I'll go over'em again really quick. The first one, what do I want to celebrate from this year? Number two, what one thing do I want to finish by December? Number three, what do I need to clear away to make space for the next season? That's your harvest reflection. It doesn't need to be perfect or polished. Just take 10 minutes to think about. It can shift how you end this year. So remember, September isn't just about back to school. It's our harvest season too. A time to celebrate what's grown, decide what matters most, and clear away what's holding us back. And if you're looking for tools to help you make that reset feel easier and more doable, check out the Get Stuff Done Toolkit. It is designed to give you a simple system you can plug right into your life, so you can finish this year strong without feeling overwhelmed. You can find the link in the show notes or head on over to real happy mom.com/done. So here's to following the Farmer's wisdom this fall and giving ourself the gift of a reset. That's it for this episode. Take care, and with lots of love.