Sprinting isn't the hard part.

My personal trainer runs an AquaZumba series every summer, in addition to her regular schedule of classes and training. Eight weeks with a full calendar and no room to breathe until it’s over. During today’s workout, we discussed pacing throughout the year. She realized she’s okay with the summer being crazy because it’s just 8 weeks, and September and October are traditionally quieter. She knows she should have the time to regroup and prepare for the next sprint.

Then we started talking about fall planning. What she actually wants the next season to look like: what classes, what days of the week, and the type of client she wants to attract. She’s focused on designing on purpose, not just doing what she’s done before.

With my slower season, I’ve had time to reflect. This week, I acknowledged that my focus on leader decisions only works when the endurance foundation is in place, anchored in intentional pacing and the right support. Leaders (myself included) make poor decisions when…we’re tired, we’re frustrated, we don’t have time to think it through, or we don’t get outside perspectives to ensure we’re not missing a blind spot. When we’re sprinting and aren’t focused on breaks or appropriate pacing, we don’t make our best decisions.

When we go back to my trainer’s situation, a specific sprint is manageable because it has an end date. What’s harder is when you don’t know where the finish line is OR you’re scared to slow down after the sprint because that’s the only pace you know that will check your Achiever’s box. Slowing down feels like falling behind. There’s a tension that I feel right now in this “off-season”…I love the idea of a slower, more relaxed summer, but there’s also the pull to fill my calendar because that feels normal and what’s expected.

I don’t think most leaders want to keep up a never-ending sprint, but most are not slowing down long enough to decide…Am I in a sprint season, or am I actually in the off-season and should be preparing for a future sprint? They default to the unsustainable pace, and we call it drive. It’s really just the only gear they’ve practiced. I can say this confidently because it’s been my personal experience.

Right now I’m in the off-season. Not stopping but focused on building the foundation for whatever the next push turns out to be, on purpose instead of by default.

What season are you actually in? And is it the one you chose, or the one you just kept running because you never stopped long enough to pick something else?

Hi. I’m Melissa. I write for the achiever who knows they can't pressure-test the biggest calls alone but are tempted to do it anyway.

➡️ If you're sitting with a decision right now and could use someone to think it through with, here are two options with no ongoing commitment required. A Decision Sprint is built for situations that don’t require significant context to help you make the call… You want to pressure-test your thinking. A Strategic Decision Session is for more complex situations that need context, alternatives, and action planning. It's 90 minutes with 30 days of follow-up access while you put it into motion.

Share The Decisions You’re Making Alone

Managers must do what AI will not: choose. Real strategy requires trade-offs across conflicting interests, mismatched structures, and limited resources. Rather than accepting AI’s compromises, managers can avoid convergence with competitors by choosing what they will not do.

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My Body Called My Bluff.

Jul 4

Tuesday, I wrapped up a long-term fractional leadership assignment, and it was bittersweet. I made the decision earlier this spring that it was time to transition out. It was always meant to be more of an interim position, and I realized that what they most needed was not where I thrive. I closed a chapter of my choosing, but there’s always sadness when…