In the Northern Hemisphere, we’re now in the swing of the fall season. Signs of it are all around us. We see the shift of color in the leaves and feel the cool air on our skin. This change can be felt outside, but also in our lives as our daily rhythm fills up with back-to-school routines and fall activities.
Just as there are seasons in nature — Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer — we also experience different seasons in our relationships, our parenting, our businesses and within ourselves. Each season holds its own unique qualities that we can harness to help guide us in our own lives.
We are now in Autumn, which symbolizes the completion of the outer growth cycle. By now many actual (and metaphorical) crops have been grown and gathered. It’s the time of year when we can reap what we have sown. We can celebrate what we have harvested and also begin to slow down a bit. If we were farmers, this would be the time of year to reflect on the year’s growth, and consider what we wanted to do differently for the next growth cycle. Even though most of us aren’t farmers, the same can be true for us on an inner level. Autumn is an invitation to celebrate and reflect on the work we have done and begin to shift our focus inward.
Celebrating our hard work and slowing down are two things mothers don’t tend to do very well. We live in a go, go, go culture that places high value on DOING and less on slowing down. Our sense of worth is often tied to our busyness and exhaustion. So what happens when we skip the “harvest” and don’t savor the fruits of our labor? We burn out. We get sick. We feel resentful.
How to harness the natural cycles to support your own life…
Here’s something I do at the start of every new season to help clarify what I want to do, what I need to accomplish, shift, complete or let go of over the next few months.
Acknowledge your personal season and what you have on your plate to determine your real priority.
While it may be Autumn here on the Seacoast, that doesn’t mean your personal season has to be the same. You might be in spring (full of bursting energy; the feeling of beginning something new or actually starting something new; head full of ideas, etc.). Or maybe you’re already in winter (focused inward, slowed down, doing less, contemplating things more deeply, enjoying the stillness of the dark, etc.).
Even if you feel like you’re in more than one season at a time, or transitioning between them, there is typically one dominant one for everyone.
What’s going on in your life right now?
Are you in the middle a big project at work? Are you caring for an ill family member? Are you recently divorced and struggling with your ex? Are you a new mom at home with your baby? Do you have a high school senior who is applying to college?
The circumstances of your life shape what season you’re in. That may become your priority.
As you look at the next few months, you want to recognize your personal season and what you have on your plate to determine your real priority. Then, you want to match your energy and bandwidth to your expectations.
For example, you might have planned to renovate your home, but your bandwidth and energy may no longer be aligned with that goal. If achieving a goal costs you peace because of the stress, your expectations and energy are not a match. If you are going through grief and loss, launching a new business most likely does not match the energy of the season you’re in.
Let nature be your guide.
This season shows us that it’s a beautiful time to pause and recognize yourself. Embrace the places in your life that need your attention and adjust your energy accordingly.
Remember that you too are part of nature and just like the farmer’s crops, you aren’t meant to be in a constant growth cycle.