Working with a Seasonal Approach in Your Business
Many of us approach our work with a constant drive to do more, to push harder, and to achieve everything all at once. While this can feel productive in the moment, it often leads to burnout, leaving us trapped in a cycle of pushing, crashing, and restarting - an exhausting rollercoaster of emotions and energy. For me, this was a pattern I didn’t even realise I was stuck in until I discovered a more balanced way to work: embracing a seasonal approach to my business and working.
This mindset shift has changed so much for me, allowing me to create a more sustainable, nervous-system-friendly way of working. In this blog I am sharing how you can implement this concept into your own business and daily life.
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The Cycle of Seasons in Business
Just like the natural seasons, our work has phases - times of growth, productivity, reflection, and rest. Each season plays an essential role in the cycle, and understanding them can help you honour the ebb and flow of your energy. Here’s how it works:
Spring: New Beginnings and Fresh Ideas
Spring represents new energy and creativity. It’s the time when fresh ideas come to life - maybe you’re brainstorming a new course, a program, or a project. This is an exciting phase, full of possibility and inspiration. Embrace this energy to plan and dream, laying the groundwork for what’s to come.
Summer: Action and Implementation
Summer is the time for doing. In this phase, you’re implementing the ideas you nurtured in spring. You’re taking action, creating, and building momentum. This is often where many of us get stuck, focusing solely on output and forgetting the importance of the next phases. But, just as summer naturally gives way to autumn, we need to allow ourselves to transition out of constant activity.
Autumn: Reflection and Gratitude
Autumn invites us to slow down and appreciate what we’ve achieved. It’s a time to reflect, review, and celebrate your progress. Taking stock of your accomplishments - big and small - helps you recognise how far you’ve come. This phase is often overlooked, but it’s so important for maintaining motivation and perspective. Without it, we’re likely to feel stuck in a cycle of “not enough,” always chasing the next goal.
Winter: Rest and Integration
Winter is a time for deep rest and allowing things to settle. This phase is essential for recovery and integration. It gives you the space to let new lessons and experiences sink in. Without rest, we risk burnout and can’t sustain the energy needed to start the cycle again. Embracing winter’s quiet moments ensures that when spring arrives, you’re ready to step into it with renewed energy.
Applying the Seasonal Approach to Your Work
This seasonal approach doesn’t just apply to the year as a whole; you can also reflect it in your days, weeks, and months:
Daily Rhythm: Mornings can be your “spring” for fresh energy and planning, midday your “summer” for action, evenings your “autumn” for reflection, and nights your “winter” for rest.
Weekly Rhythm: Use the beginning of the week to plan and create, the middle to take action, and the end to review and rest.
Monthly Rhythm: Begin the month with brainstorming and planning, dedicate the bulk of the month to implementation, and reserve the end for reflecting and slowing down.
By weaving these rhythms into your work, you create a more sustainable balance of activity and rest.
Why This Approach Matters
When we’re stuck in constant summer - always doing, creating, and achieving - we deplete our energy reserves. Society often glorifies this constant hustle, but it’s not sustainable. By embracing all the seasons, we:
Avoid burnout by honouring our natural need for rest.
Build greater clarity through reflection and celebration.
Foster creativity by giving space for ideas to emerge.
This approach also helps us recognise which seasons we tend to skip. For example, do you struggle to take action in summer; do you struggle to acknowledge and celebrate your achievements in autumn, or do you find it hard to rest in winter? Noticing these patterns with compassion can help you make small adjustments to create more balance.
Conclusion: Start Small and Build Over Time
Working with a seasonal approach invites us to break free from the cycle of constant doing. It’s a gentle reminder to honour all phases of the process - the excitement of spring, the productivity of summer, the reflection of autumn, and the rest of winter. When we embrace these natural rhythms, we create space for greater energy, creativity, and fulfillment in our businesses and our lives.
Take a moment to reflect: Which seasons do you find yourself skipping? How can you start to integrate all four seasons into your work rhythm? By doing so, you’ll set yourself up for a more sustainable, nourishing way of working - one that supports both your business and your well-being.
What is your biggest takeaway?
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