Published:
August 23, 2025
"You can't ask us to run a marathon after just finishing a marathon."
That's what a physician told me last week during a conversation about primary care. But I haven't stopped thinking about it, because it applies far beyond healthcare. It's the perfect metaphor for what many not-for-profit leaders and staff are facing right now.
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AGMs. New board onboarding. Budget planning season. Funder reports due. Major equity initiatives launching.
Normally, these autumn rhythms mark a new beginning. A chance to reset priorities and tackle fresh challenges with renewed energy. But this year? It feels like we never truly stopped running.
Summer didn't rejuvenate us the way it used to. For many teams, the supposed break was punctuated by urgent emails, ongoing crises, and the deeper organizational fatigue that no vacation can fully address. Families are navigating new structures and new pressures. The traditional markers of "back to school" energy feel hollow when the adults are already running on empty.
Not-for-profit staff have always carried a remarkable ability to make the impossible happen with minimal resources. It’s been our strength, our pride, even our identity (it’s in our DNA).
But over time, what was once an exceptional effort has quietly become the baseline expectation. The constant push to say yes to one more program, one more need, one more “critical” initiative is no longer sustainable. When the mission suffers because we're too tired to innovate, that's when we know the problem runs deeper than personal resilience.
Burnout is personal. It shows up in our bodies, our energy, our ability to keep going. But it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When the systems around us are built on constant overextension, individual fatigue becomes inevitable. When people leave faster than we can replace them, or the mission stalls because energy is depleted, it’s a sign that the problem isn’t resilience, but the pace we’ve normalized.
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Think of this season as the universe handing leaders a giant “reset” button. Pressing it means making some counter-intuitive calls: deciding what not to take on, not just stacking up new projects.
It’s about asking ourselves honestly: are we keeping an unsustainable pace on life support, or are we carving out a healthier way forward?
Equity work is often first to get sidelined when teams are stretched. It’s framed as “nice to have,” when in reality it’s the very thing that keeps our purpose anchored. These projects demand steady energy, not scraps of attention left over at the end of a 14-hour day. The leaders who'll thrive this fall won’t be the ones doing everything, they’ll be the ones who make choices filled with intention.
No matter if you’re sprinting toward October deadlines, limping through a tough AGM season, or strolling with deliberate (and maybe slightly stubborn) purpose, you’re in good company.
Let's pace ourselves differently this year. Let's choose what matters most and let some other things wait. Let's stop pretending we're starting fresh and start leading authentically from where we really are: tired, committed, and still showing up.
The race isn't over, but maybe it's time to change how we run it.
Resetting your pace starts with the right tools. Our new resource page brings together practical guides, tips, and strategies to help you focus on what matters most this season, protect your energy, and lead with clarity. Check it out here and equip yourself to reset with purpose.
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