Contemplating Life’s Choices

I’m closing out the first weekend with the modified work schedule. It doesn’t feel like much has changed given I was traveling for work the days I would be working so it more felt like a long weekend than a change in how work would be. I don’t know that I’ve got the Sunday Scaries at this point but there’s definitely still some anxiety of what I’m going back to.

This reminds me of my own advice I give to others that just like the seasons we experience on earth we have seasons throughout our career.

Seasons where we are committed to the “rise and grind” and “climb the ladder fast”. Where we stay late, work weekends, and often switch jobs every couple of years to get that higher title and more pay. When we are ambitious and willing to do all the things to get where you want to go.

Then there are seasons with young kids or health challenges where career matters but takes a back seat. Sometimes we struggle to still be everything to everyone at work while also raising children or taking care of our health. Often, we might feel like we’re failing or not doing enough and wondering if it will always be this painful and exhausting.

I’ve also seen folks in the season of choice where the rise and grind is no longer a fit but the struggle and pain aren’t always there either. The kids are getting old enough to take care of themselves, you’ve got enough skills to not feel you have to constantly prove yourself, and maybe you’re at that point where you’re thinking about the future and the legacy you want to leave behind.

For the last 6-8 months I’ve felt like I’m in some sort of seasonal shift. That space between fall and winter when life was good and things seemed sure and then winter hits and things feel cold and harsh. I think I’m wandering into the winter to spring season where I know it’s not all bad all the time and there are blossoms of hope here and there.

I think the hardest part about navigating these seasons of life and in our careers is that often when you’re in between seasons it’s easy to not make decisions and to sit and wait and hope for the best. Then we find a few seasons later that nothing really changed and we wonder what could have been.

I’m committed to pushing outside of my comfort zone and prioritizing the things that matter to me. I want to give things a try and see where they take me vs wondering if I could have done something more meaningful or impactful with my time.

Hopefully you’ll be seeing me post here a lot. I want to use this space to get better at sharing my thoughts and ideas while also not being constrained by feeling like I have to have everything polished to perfection or fully baked before I share. Some of my posts may be raw or just ok but for me if I don’t let myself be ok with some posts just missing the mark I’ll never get to the point where I share something that might actually mean something to someone.

If you’re in a season of life that feels good or one that feels challenging I’m curious what you’re going through. Are you in an easy breezy spring where everything is soft and beautiful? Are in deep in summer where you’re working hard and playing hard and building the life of your dreams. Maybe you’re in fall where things feel crisp but need more time to come together. Or are you in winter either cozied up taking time for yourself or deep in solitude and reflection.

I hope that no matter where you are in the season of life you’re in you know that it’s ok to ramp up, to charge ahead, or to slow down, and do less. You matter simply because you exist. You don’t have to earn your value. You are valuable just as you are. I hope that together we’ll learn that no matter what season were in it’s ok to be fully present in that and to know that things will shift just like the seasons change.