Seasons - Not Just for Plants

What Season Are You In?

Just as the earth turns through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, so do we. Our lives — and the different spheres within them — move through seasons of planting, growing, harvesting, and resting.

But unlike the calendar year, these seasons don’t arrive neatly or all at once.

You may be in spring in your work life — full of energy, ideas, and new opportunities — yet in autumn in your relationships, where you’re gathering what’s been sown and letting go of what’s no longer fruitful.

It can feel challenging to admit that you’re in a winter of your business ventures, but there’s freedom in recognizing the season and allowing yourself to rest, hibernate, and give space to new seeds of innovation.

Recognizing your season brings freedom. It helps you stop striving to be somewhere else and instead live wisely and be at peace, in the moment you’re in.

Why Seasons Matter

We often expect life to be linear — constant productivity, constant progress, constant “doing.”But life, leadership, and relationships are cyclical. Each season carries a unique rhythm and purpose.

When we ignore that rhythm, we risk burnout or frustration. (God knew what we needed when He calls us to a Sabbath rest. Jesus also spoke of “unforced rhythms of grace” – Matthew 11:28 – 30 MSG)

When we embrace it, we find peace, focus, and alignment with what really matters right now.

Recognize the seasons for what they bring you in all aspects of your life:

Spring — New Beginnings

Spring is a season of courage, curiosity, and planting. You’re starting something new — a project, a relationship, a way of thinking. It’s the time to take risks and dream boldly, even if the outcome isn’t certain yet.

Ask yourself: What new thing is God inviting me to nurture? What new ideas are stirring that I can give space to?

Summer — Growth and Momentum

Summer brings long days, full schedules, and visible growth. There’s energy and motion — but also the need for consistency and care. Growth requires endurance, not just enthusiasm. Summer is the time for grit and commitment.

Ask yourself: How can I sustain what I’ve started without losing joy in the process? Where am I allowing boredom to creep in? (If you’re a Visionary or Ideator)

Autumn — Reflection and Release

Autumn invites us to pause and notice what’s ready to harvest — and what’s ready to fall away. You might be reaping the rewards of earlier effort, or realizing that some things have run their course. Letting go isn’t failure; it’s wisdom.

This is a time to build on what’s working, and shed what’s not. Just as we rake and repurpose dead leaves into the soil for new growth – so your lessons and growth becomes fodder for what’s coming next.

Ask yourself: What’s complete, and what needs pruning so that something new can grow later? What lessons can be reused for future growth?

Winter — Rest and Renewal

Winter can feel quiet or even barren. If you’re an innovator and person of constant action, Winter can feel frustrating, and drag you into self-defeating patterns. Winter is a season of the deep work of restoration, and rest. Renewing your energy, your mind, your soul.

When I think of my Colorado garden in the winter, I would see the dry branches coated with snow, leaves of the clematis wizened and dripping with icicles. If I didn’t know what would be coming in Spring, it would have depressed me immensely and could feel like a loss.

Here’s what’s true of gardens, and people - roots grow stronger in hidden soil. What looks lifeless is often preparation for spring. Your Winter will teach you patience and perspective, when you allow it to.

Ask yourself: How can I make peace with slowing down and trust that new life will emerge again? What can I lean into when I’m in Winter?

Different Seasons, Same Life

It’s common to experience different seasons in different spheres at the same time. You might be full of creativity and renewal in your professional life but in a quieter, healing winter in your personal world.

Understanding this helps you lead yourself — and others — with more grace. There's no need to compare one area to another; each part of your life blooms in its own time.

Living in Step with Your Season

When you know your season, you can live more intentionally. You can make decisions that fit your current capacity instead of fighting against it. You can celebrate where you’re flourishing and extend compassion where you’re waiting or pruning.

You don’t have to rush into a new season or cling to the old one. Every season has purpose.

Your task is simply to be faithful in the one you’re in.

Explore Your Season

If you’d like to explore which season you’re in — personally, relationally, and professionally — I’ve created a short Seasons of Life Reflection Worksheet you can download for free. It includes simple journaling prompts (and AI thought-partner prompts if you’d like to explore interactively) to help you notice where you are, what’s shifting, and how to align with this season of your life.

FREE LIFE SEASONS WORKSHEET