This weekend I was clearing out some old files in my office, Marie Kondo style, and I was shocked to see just how many projects I’d started and never completed – ideas for books, business collaborations with colleagues, workshop ideas I’d never launched etc. I’d started each one with excitement and high hopes yet they had run into the sand, languishing on my shelves like stale packets of herbs in the back of my kitchen cupboard that expired 5 years ago.
I started to wonder – would my projects would have a better chance of success if I paid more conscious attention to the changing seasons and used their rhythm to support my creativity?
Spring is well underway, we passed the Spring Equinox in late March – the mid point between midwinter and midsummer – the clocks have gone forward and the evenings are noticeably lighter.
This is the time of year when new ideas you’ve gestated over winter can take form – moving from visioning mode to planning mode – a potent time to give your initiatives shape and practicality before launching them.
To give your creativity a boost, take a few minutes of quiet reflection to answer these questions:
- Which of the new ideas that I’ve been mulling during the winter months do I want to bring forth this year?
- What stage are they at (mulling, planning, testing)?
- Who else do I need to get involved?
- Where can I start talking about my ideas to get feedback and gauge interest?
- What is my next step?
In my view, a major reason for the confusion and discord of our times is that we have become disconnected from essential rhythms – of the seasons, of our bodies and of the earth itself. The business mantra of ever increasing growth requires us to stay in a perpetual summer of endless productivity, not respecting the essential ebb and flow of life. At a deep level we know this is unnatural and it creates an underlying tension that no amount of distractions will assuage.
At a time when resources appear scarce and society is dominated by fear and unhealthy competition, it’s vital that we nurture our creativity – which is unlimited and abundant. By learning how to use the timing of the seasons to support our contribution to the world we can navigate these challenging times and make a positive difference. The world needs your ideas!