Despite the unseasonable warmth, fall is still finding its way in. Halloween decorations are up, everything is suddenly pumpkin flavored, and homecoming just wrapped up around here. The air may not be crisp yet, but the season is in motion.

Anyone who knows me knows this is my favorite time of year. Fall feels like a reset. Even more than the beginning of the year.

The colors shift, the routines settle, and the trees give us their annual lesson in subtraction. They let go with elegance, showing us that release is part of growth.

That’s our theme this week: seize the day, and shed the rest.

Dead Poets Society (1989) stars Robin Williams as an English teacher at a strict, but prestigious boarding school who inspires his students to think for themselves and “seize the day”. In fact, its hard for me to not think about this movie anytime I hear or see the phrase, "carpe diem”.

I chose it for today because it does two things beautifully. First, it captures the look and feel of fall. The golden light and the leaves drifting down into the crisp courtyards. (In fact, they timed filming of this movie to most perfectly capture the vibrant fall colors in the background.) Second, it highlights the themes I often return to. The courage to see things differently, and the freedom that comes when we let go of what’s holding us back.

One of the most unforgettable scenes is Mr. Keating (Williams) standing on a desk, urging his students to change their perspective. Outside, the campus trees are letting go of their leaves to conserve energy for what’s ahead.

That’s the lesson for us. If we want to live our most fulfilling and joyful lives, we have to do the same. We shed the rest so we can stand stronger and seize the day.

In Dead Poets Society, Mr. Keating has his students rip pages out of their poetry textbooks. Not because poetry doesn’t matter, but because rigid formulas and charts cluttered the real experience. He wanted them to see differently, to step outside of what was expected.

Trees do the same. They do not waste energy clinging to every leaf. When the season turns, they let go so they can endure winter and return stronger in spring. If they held on out of fear or habit, they would exhaust themselves.

We are the same way. We cling to clutter, routines, and expectations because it feels safer than release. We even cling to being right, as if winning every argument makes life richer. But just like those textbook pages or those leaves, holding on too long only makes us heavier.

The essential shift is choosing subtraction over accumulation.

This is the real “carpe diem”. Not cramming in more, but daring to shed what does not serve you.

In this section every week, I’ll give step by step instructions on how to tackle one project. It could be something simple and small like this week’s assignment, or it could be more involved. Once you take on a few of these, you’ll learn some of the common strategies that can be applied to just about anything.

My hope for this newsletter is to make it feel like a mini-coaching session with me.

So now, it’s time to…

Fall shows us that letting go can be beautiful. It is how we make room for what matters. The trees know it. Mr. Keating knew it. And deep down, we know it too.

So this week, release one thing that no longer serves you. Watch the space it creates. Feel the lift. That is how subtraction makes life extraordinary.

Carpe diem. Seize the day, shed the rest.