Summary:As the year winds down, many high-performing leaders find themselves mentally drained in a way that sleep alone can’t fix. This episode breaks down the neuroscience of year-end fatigue—why your brain feels foggy, unfocused, or simply done—and why this season hits harder than any other quarter.

Grounded in research from cognitive science and positive psychology, we explore how chronic decision-making depletes the prefrontal cortex, how emotional residue builds through the year, and why stress narrows your perception just when clarity matters most.

You’ll learn how to shift from high output to high intention, simplify decisions, conserve cognitive energy, and reconnect to purpose so you can finish strong—without finishing yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why Q4 is the most cognitively expensive quarter of the year• What neuroscience says about cognitive fatigue and emotional residue• How chronic stress reshapes attention, motivation, and clarity• Why “pushing through” actually sabotages performance• How micro-rest practices restore cognitive energy• A weekly micro-practice to regain control and clarity• A powerful thought and coaching question to carry forward

Micro-Practice:The Five-Minute Finish — a brief end-of-day ritual that restores clarity and reduces mental clutter.

Powerful Question:What is one thing you can stop doing this season that will help you finish the year with strength and clarity instead of depletion?

Call to Action:Preorder Call & Response: Ten Leadership Lessons from the Black Church and learn how to build grounded, unshakeable leadership rooted in science and cultural wisdom.

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