Last week when I wrote about warming up, I had a brain wave that I should move my regular journalling habit so that it comes right before writing these emails.
In the past, I’ve resisted setting a specific time for journalling — I’ve told you before that I’m rebellious on the inside — but turns out that having that chilled-out writing session to look forward to at the end of the work day is really nice.
Not only does it get some fresh ideas going, but it’s helping me get deeper into the writing than I’ve been going for a while.
(Maybe it’s a circadian rhythm thing. Eat, sleep, air all your crazy thoughts, work, eat… good for the soul, these routines)
Writing at the same time every day is also highlighting some thematic stuff I might not have noticed otherwise, and at the moment, that’s about understanding which season I’m in.
Obviously, it’s spring here in Lisbon, and thank goodness, but that’s not what I mean. No, I’m talking about seasons of life.
It sounds kind of cheesy, I know, but it’s true.
We all go through different seasons and noticing which one you’re in can go an incredibly long way to making things easier.
I’ve been thinking about this concept for the past few years, and here are the seasons that seem to show up consistently, at least in my life (they might be different for you):
- Season of work
- Season of rest
- Season of growth
- Season of change
Right now I’m in a season of work. There are moments of rest, growth and change, like unseasonably warm days in the winter, but for the most part, I know what I’m in for.
I can see the other seasons on the horizon, and I’m making plans for them. I tend to get frantic and stressed about all the out-of-season stuff I’m not doing, but having seen this theme come up in my writing so consistently over the years, I know that I can put those things on ice and come back to them when the season is right.
It’s a relief, and it’s why I know I’ll always be writing.
Dealing with your stuff, or dreaming up the future, doesn’t happen in one big brain dump, or one big breakthrough. It’s all incremental, and it all changes over time.
Seasons change, perspectives change, and keeping an eye on what’s coming out on the page is the best way I need to stay curious and clear-headed about it all.