Growth doesn’t occur in a linear way. We know that when we look at kids. They have noticeable growth spurts. Most plants don’t grow continuously, and certainly not at the same rate throughout their life. The same is true for us as leaders, professionals, and people. We go through seasons of growth. When we understand and identify that, we will ultimately grow closer and more predictably towards our potential.
In the physical world we think about spring, summer, autumn and winter. Simply saying those four words gives us a complete mental framework about growth for plants. In the human world, we can do something similar – infant, toddler, school aged, young adult, middle aged, elderly – and have a picture of the stages of development. Looking at our seasons of growth in the human way, though is necessarily limiting, and potentially predetermined.
There are two other issues with us relying on the stages of human development as our growth model:
Length of the cycle. The human growth stages take 60+ years, as opposed to the annual cycle of the seasons.
Repeatability of the cycle. The seasons model repeats – after winter predictably comes spring. Infant doesn’t follow elderly. While the human development model ends, the seasons always repeat.
For those who are serious about their ongoing growth and development, and/or helping others grow and develop, we must then adopt the seasons of growth mindset.
Here are three ways you can adopt the seasons of growth model as your mindset and guide. Each will help you develop your skills, expertise, and wisdom in whatever areas you choose.
Plan for the Seasons
If you are a gardener there are things that you are doing in each season to prepare for the next one. Even if your thumb isn’t green and you have never planted anything, you know what planning for the seasons means. You think about your clothing, activities, and take the weather and seasons into account in your plans. We can do the same with our development. If we notice that we are in a season of interpersonal winter – we can begin preparing for the spring with anticipation.
Expect the Seasons
If it is spring, we expect the weather to be gradually getting warmer. We know it will happen. But often when we are in a particular season personally, we act/think/wonder if that season will ever end. If we have been running hard mental, emotionally, and physically, we can expect and value autumn where things might slow down a bit more. If it seems like forever since we have made any progress (winter), we think progress and growth (spring) will never come. We can expect the seasons of growth will come and we will be more effective.
Live in the Seasons
Ask ten people and you will likely find at least one person who pick each of the different seasons as their favourite. Yet, there is power, beauty and much to like about each. Talk to those ten people long enough and all will find things they like about each of the seasons. If the grass could choose to grow during winter, it wouldn’t be as successful or hardy in the summer, when it is designed for rapid growth. If the maple tree didn’t let go of it’s leaves in autumn, it can’t grow next spring. We are most effective with the seasons of growth mindset we are present and grateful where we are. We can plan and know the seasons will change, but when we value what each season brings, we will be more content and successful.
Lessons from the Seasons
Beyond the three strategies I have just shared, there are some other lessons you can take from the seasons for growth mindset. Here are some I have learned:
Patience. You can’t rush the next season. But you can, when you realize the rhythm, be expectant and be looking for the changes in the seasons. For me this has taught me patience when I haven’t felt I was growing at a given time.
Awareness. The seasons of growth model allows us to recognize that the winter season, for example is necessary and still a period of growth, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Pace. When we see the power of the seasons, we realize that we can’t run 100% forever. Trying to be unrealistic about this is the cause of stress, anxiety, and worry. The autumn and winter seasons (even if ours aren’t six months long), allow us to outwardly grow faster in spring and summer. Pacing ourselves and our expectations for ourselves puts our overall grow in a fresh and valuable perspective.
We all see the seasons of the year as the natural rhythm of life. When we adopt a seasons of growth approach to our personal and professional development we can grow faster, without rushing, pushing, or getting in our own way.
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