What season are you in?
It’s officially fall here in the midwest - though honestly, it still feels like summer. Fall is often a time when we think about seasons, things shifting and changing into a new phase or cycle.
I recently read a book called “The 100-Year Life” which is centered around the idea of looking outside the traditional 3 stage life - education, work, then retirement. Instead, the authors encourage readers to think about going through multiple life phases over the course of a 100-year life, shifting between accumulating tangible assets (like money, education, and other formal training) and intangible assets (like relationships, family, and health).
Someone might work in a traditional 9-5 for several years, before taking a break from working outside the home and spending time caring for their children. Once their children are grown, they might explore starting a business, exploring a new field, or returning to the one they left.
One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from this book is that we all go through different seasons of life where we prioritize different things. This helps me to understand what I'm prioritizing currently and what's being set aside or will become a bigger priority later on.
So what season are you in? What assets are you focusing on right now? Here are some examples you might identify with:
In a season of education, you might find yourself prioritizing traditional educational opportunities, like finishing your Ph.D. or working towards a non-degree training program.
In a season of exploration, you may be unsure what direction you want to go in the long term. This kind of season can help you give yourself permission to try new things without making long-term commitments. If I'm in a season of exploration, I know that I can try new things without feeling the need to commit to them and that each new experience is data that helps me know myself a little better.
During a season of achievement or growth, you might prioritize your career progression, focusing on what achievements you need in order to climb the corporate ladder or secure tenure. I tend to think of this as a more long-term season over the course of several years, more like running a marathon than a sprint.
In a season of productivity, you might be focusing on more short-term achievements, like completing your dissertation or launching a new project. If I know that I'm in a season of productivity, it can help me get myself to the finish line by reminding me that this season won't last forever and I will get a chance to prioritize other things that are important to me later.
During a season of rest and recovery - which can be beneficial after a season of productivity! - you might prioritize creating space to rest and recover from your recent productivity sprint.
In a season of wealth accumulation, you might prioritize finding ways to save money, pay off debt, or seek out additional sources of income.
During seasons of connection, people often focus on nurturing close relationships, whether with friends or family, as well as building new relationships. This might also be a time when one focuses on caring for children.
In a season of vitality, the focus is on health. This might include times when you push your efforts towards establishing an exercise routine, cooking at home more, or prioritizing your mental health.
Whether you find yourself in any of these seasons, or none at all, this doesn’t mean you neglect the other areas of your life. It’s just a way to hone in on what assets you’re giving the most focus right now. There can also be overlap between multiple seasons, where two or three assets become your biggest priority.
All seasons eventually come to an end, but thinking of seasons of life in this way really helps me to feel more present and satisfied with things as they are, knowing that they will eventually change.
