A Season of Change and Transformation  for Your Career and Life

It’s all about letting go in preparation for the new…

I’ll admit it, Fall has never been my favorite time of the year.  For a person who loves the Summertime sun, warmth, beach, parks, greenery of nature, and vacation time, Fall always represented such an abrupt end to the fun of Summer.

Living in the Chicago area, Fall also represents the gateway to Winter…the cold, icy, snow-covered unrelenting Winter!

Then I saw a quote that gave me a new perspective on this season:

“The falling of leaves symbolizes a shift. It is shedding the old – of what is spent and no longer needed, making room for the new growth of spring. As with the trees, it is a time for us to release those ideas and beliefs that have kept us rooted in past ways. For change to happen, we must make room. Letting go is not about having less; it allows us to have more.” ~ Charisse Glenn, Blogger & Casting Director

The part about making room for the new growth of Spring especially touched me.  What do you need to let go of, shed, to make room for the new growth of spring in your life and career?

Recently, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling burdened by many things in my life.  Some of these I had little to no control over.  I realized that I needed to let go of most of this…especially those things I couldn’t control.  The burdens that I had some control over could be released (with some practice) to the next day when I could address them fresh and awake.  The key was to let go!  Most burdens can be transformed into opportunities to either let go or transform in some way.  And letting go is an essential first step.

A great example of transformation for each of us, especially in the Fall season, would happen every year when you were in school.  In September, as the new school year would begin, I always thought of it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean, let go of the past, and start anew.  There is a transformative power in the beginning of something new when the old has ended, and each new grade, or year at college/grad school, was no exception for me.  The structure of school is an interesting one.  You really do “start over again” each year.

Making preparation toward a new season can be the beginning.  Just as with school, the endings were marked and specific…. report cards, saying goodbye to classmates, sometimes a graduation ceremony.  The new year ahead began in the Fall with sharpened pencils, clean new folders and notebooks, and the anticipation of the beginning of a new season.

A season change can be a focus change, just as most of us experienced through the structure of school.  What are some things you can do now to embrace or let go, and define a new season ahead?

  1. What do you need to let go of? Remember the quote above.  Letting go makes room for the “new growth” ahead.  What are your “stop doing’s?”  One example of this is my Decluttering group that meets weekly on Zoom.  It’s wonderful.  We all hold each other accountable and spend the time decluttering.  It’s amazing what you can accomplish in just one hour of decluttering.  What in your life needs some “decluttering?”
  2. Take an assessment of where your career and life are at, especially against your goals for the year. Are you where you truly want to be?  Look to the finish line.  It might be the end of the quarter or year.  How do you want to finish strong?
  3. This is the season of harvest. It’s a great time to “gather in” and reflect upon all you have produced this year.  Spend some time celebrating the accomplishment!  Documenting your successes for the year can take place now before the busyness of year end and the holidays.  You can get a significant jump on your performance appraisal.  Can you take the time now instead of end of year, to write down and celebrate your accomplishments?
  4. What is possible in your role at work? What new habits would work for you?  Do you need to come in an hour earlier to focus on time alone?  Do you need an effective time management system?  Maybe one hour a day to work on strategic thinking would be a great use of your time and efforts.  Think of adding a few new habits this season to your work routine. Habits can support your days, like planning in advance for the week or day ahead.  I meet every 3 weeks with a fellow coach. We hold each other accountable to our strategic plans for our businesses.  Accountability is a great way to institute a new habit. What is one new habit you would like to try out? 
  5. Be kind to yourself. Always practice self-forgiveness.  That was me then, but this is me now.  Sometimes we refuse to forgive others or the past.  This time, be kind to yourself and understand that you really are always trying to do the best thing and you can start over.  Can you give yourself more grace during this season?

The lesson of a new season, at any time, can be a sense of renewal.  What does renewal mean for you at this time?

ACTION CHALLENGE

Take some time to declare a transition period of reflection and resetting.   Find something to let go of and make room for the new.  Start some new habits to embrace the season and transition!  Happy Fall!

Lupe Wood