Welcome to the Positively Living Podcast. I’m your host Lisa, and I’m so excited to share today’s topic with you because it’s a technique I have been using and fine-tuning for a long time. There’s a graphic I’ve shared on social media for years that says, “Live Fully in the Season You’re In” and it makes me think of how important it is to embrace where we are in our lives and who we are as people. That creates contentment, but it also impacts productivity. I know this firsthand because I’ve seen clients struggle against the season of life they’re in for many reasons.

I’ve done it too. We try hard to hold onto things that no longer fit (that maybe did at one time), and I don’t just mean those cutoff jean shorts. We get in the habit of doing things a certain way, and it can be emotional and challenging to accept the need to change. Also, life is distracting. We’re moving along, frequently pulled by the current, and can miss the signs that let us know we would do well to change our approach.

This is why I constantly urge you to use self-awareness (the first episode of this podcast identifies it as your #1 productivity tool). One of your best tactics for continuous life improvement is to take time to reflect. When you do that, you can catch the more subtle shifts and see the patterns in yourself and the world around you.

Then you can anticipate changes needed (or at least be looking for them) and be better prepared. And when you make those intentional changes, you can use less energy while being just as productive, if not more.

How does that sound?

I thought you’d say that. 🙂

And yes, good catch that we’re actually talking about energy management here.

Where to Begin in Embracing Seasonality

Where do we begin?

Step 1 is to embrace the concept of seasonality around us and in everything we do and understand that those seasons affect our energy in a variety of ways. We need to stop looking at our days/weeks/years as being equal and instead honor the natural ebb and flow within different aspects of our lives.

Some seasons of life to consider:

Nature’s seasons

These are the most obvious, and we can think of them in terms of weather, activity, and crops. My Dad was a big fan of eating food in season. To his point, that would be when fruits and vegetables would be the best quality – freshest, sweetest, and probably the most nutrient-dense. Depending upon where we live in the world, seasons can affect us differently too.

As a lifetime New Yorker, summer is a sweet spot of warmth and fresh air, whereas my southern friends are hibernating with air conditioners. Conversely, in winter, I am vacillating between admiring and cursing out the snow while California friends are going for comfortable walks. (Ok, I might be cursing them out a little too, but only in those rare moments I miss flip-flops.)

Seasons of development

As we age, our brains and bodies develop, and our abilities strengthen, weaken, and shift, especially with other life factors at play (like diet and exercise, genetics)

Seasons of demand

Some examples are parenting, caregiving, academics. If you are a parent or caregiver, you know what I mean by demand, but you can see this with friends too. And you can be in a season of greater demand as you navigate loss and trauma. You can also see this during school seasons when either you or your family members have more activities or homework.

Seasons of our career and business

Whether you’re building a business or career, you have development stages, slower and sharper growth periods, and changes that may be chosen but are often influenced by outside sources.

It should be noted that these cycles are also found in our health. Temporary injuries can affect our abilities in an obvious way, but also consider how women of reproductive age will have monthly cycles affecting energy and focus. Those with diseases and chronic illnesses may have longer periods of reduced energy.

You can see how these examples can vary in length – some temporary, some constant, some can be weeks, months, years, and some over the course of a day. When you’re planning your goals and activities, you may be able to anticipate some (e.g., business launches or your menstrual cycle). With others, you’ll need reflection and attention to help you catch them.

Whenever you’re making plans, business or personal, build in time to reflect and to assess your energy during this season. Are you still as active as you once were? More or less? What time of year is it and how do you feel during it? Is there a preferred time of day for this appointment or task? Are you dealing with extra work, studying, or family demands right now? Is this long-term or temporary? And, with all this, what limits or needs do you have?

How I Honor my Seasonal Energy

When you answer those questions honestly and use them to inform your planning, you’ll ensure that your approach and scope will set you up for success and keep you from burning out. It does take trial and error, but every adjustment helps.

Here are some of the ways I honor my seasonal energy and plan accordingly:

One of the most obvious and easiest seasons to assess is the seasons of the year. I find I am most energetic during sunny summer months and with the cool crisp air of Fall. Spring is decent for my energy, and winter is definitely low energy. I live in the Northeast United States, so that translates to being most active June-October (maybe more, but I’m also being realistic with the weird weather NY can have). When it’s cold and snowing from November-February and even into March, I am like a bear and want to eat and hibernate. The holidays lean into that tendency as well. In the summer, I am more active but also want to play more.

My family camps in the Adirondacks and I love to swim. In the Spring, I’m anxious for good weather and feel the desire to start fresh with new ideas, which have been germinating during my dormant period. In the Fall, I have a resurgence of energy due to crisp air and gorgeous colors (NY really does show off in Autumn) and the “back to school” vibe that showed up when I went to school and has never gone away.

Next up, I look at the school calendar since I’m the mom of a tween and teen. My kiddos are musical, so I know end-of-semester timeframes will be busy with concerts, and I block out time for those. I also know the beginning of the school year has a lot of days off, so I mark those as well. (As a matter of fact, the minute I get the school calendar, I populate both my personal and business calendars with those dates.)

Overall, I tend to use the first quarter of the year for reflection and learning (it’s when I studied and received my certifications in stress management, time management, life coaching, and, most recently, positive psychology). It’s a great time for me to rest more and hunker down with a good book. The cats appreciate spikes in couch snuggles too, so that’s a win-win when I can please the feline overlords.

The second quarter tends to be a season of structure and building, of creating new things, and the third quarter is a mix with summer break and another seasonal shift. September is a slight outlier because of the “back to school” energy spike (which corresponds to an irrational need to buy office supplies). I usually book speaking engagements and other collaborative events around this time. The fourth quarter starts to slow down again with planning and reflection playing heavily. This is a great time to schedule more guest spots on podcasts and have hope-filled conversations about the coming year.

A big part of planning like this is not only honoring but accepting the limitations we have and may wish we didn’t have. I honor my energy with how much I choose to do each day (and specific days of the month).

I am focused on eating and resting for productivity, but my body has been through a lot after caregiving for my mom while having two children. It took me a long time to call it trauma (which I mention on episode 29 with Mallory Jackson on living a Trauma Informed Life) but I accept that and my limitations that go with it.

Again, it’s not easy because it’s not always obvious. This is why we have to watch the energy signs. I recently reflected on how if we break an ankle, we might be frustrated, but we’ll understand and respect our limits and act accordingly. But if we are working and feel weary, we’re much more likely to feel shame and to push those signs aside, which leads to burnout.

I urge you to set aside the shame and society’s expectations…or, more likely, your own expectations…and seek out true productivity: doing the right thing, at the right time, the right way for YOU.

For more support in your efforts to honor your energy, protect your boundaries, and simplify the seasons of your life, I welcome you to check out the Positively Productive Resources Vault. It’s packed with the worksheets, checklists, workbooks, and recordings I use with clients. Go to http://www.positivelyproductive.com/vault and use promo code PODCAST for a very special listener discount.