Did you start your business during the boss babe era—you know, when we were all “faking it till we made it” and thought that by hustling and grinding, you could “achieve anything if you set your mind to”? Or how about only “resting when you’re done”?
Perhaps you started a little later in that era, but the effects of the current capitalistic systems and toxic productivity culture have seeped into your business.
So you find yourself feeling like you have to grow, grow, grow, and rest is something that will happen one day (right). Only you keep moving the “finish line,” Now you are utterly exhausted, wondering if giving it all up and working in a bookshop would make you feel more relaxed and at ease.
Running a business is often synonymous with a constant hustle – always striving for more growth, clients, and success?
But what if there is a slower, gentler way?
One that will help you work with the rhythm and flow of your life, where your business and intentions are aligned with the rhythms of the seasons and the way you and your energy work?
As a solopreneur (even more specifically, someone who provides a service to others), treating you and your energy as the most important asset in your business is essential. And avoid falling into the trap of pushing forward without also taking some space to reflect, refine, AND REST.
This is why working in tune with the natural cycles of the seasons can help you rebuild a business that is not only more sustainable and profitable but also more aligned with your well-being, creativity, and energy.
The power of aligning your business with the seasons
Every season has a distinct energy – autumn is a time for harvesting and preparation, winter is a time for rest and reflection, spring is a time for growth and renewal, and summer is a time for action and expansion.
By aligning your business goals, tasks, and mindset with seasonal rhythms, you can work with the energies around you rather than forcing your way forward or thinking that you and your business always need to grow and expand.
I wanted to show you how each season can help ground you and your business, help you slow down, and create more joy and satisfaction in your business.
After all, that’s why you started your business in the first place: so that every workday would feel special and you could infuse your day and client work with a deeper sense of purpose.
Why shouldn’t you enjoy your business? Make it feel like a cosy, safe place to express yourself, do the work that fills you with joy, and support the people you want to help through your work.
But you also wanna live too, right?
You don’t want your business soaking up all your time and energy so that nothing is left?
You want to find freedom away from your business and create enough space to do the things that matter most to you—like being present when you fetch your little one(s) from school, take a random trip to a cosy cottage in the woods with no WiFi, or work on that passion project that keeps calling you!
Whether or not you acknowledge it, your business goes through various seasons.
There is a natural ebb and flow in all businesses. Sometimes, we find ourselves busier (maybe your days are filled with client work, and your business is growing faster than you can keep up), only to be faced with periods when business is slower or where the growth can no longer continue. You must refine and build the structures to help you move forward easily.
The problem is sometimes we fight these seasons, thinking we should continually grow and expand.
This is why using the seasons to realign your efforts, find balance (even if just for a fleeting moment), and continue to build your business in a way that respects you and the natural world around you can help you create a business that feels more sustainable (and more profitable).
Here is how you can use the energy of the seasons to run your business:
Winter : a time for rest and reflection
Winter invites you to slow down, reflect, and recharge. Just as nature takes a pause, winter is the perfect time for you to turn inwards, reflect on the past few seasons of business, and start to dream and plan for the future.
It’s the perfect time to reflect on what has worked well and what didn’t, reset your business strategies, and set new goals and intentions for the upcoming year.
But most importantly, it’s about taking the time to rest and recharge your creativity and energy – instead of rushing into things, how can you give yourself the pace to evaluate and recharge, making sure you are ready to move forward with intention and clarity.
Spring : a time for growth and renewal
Spring is all about fresh starts, new beginnings, and growth. Instead of rushing to get going on the first of January, you may find that come spring, you actually feel re-energised and ready to start taking action in your business.
Just as nature begins to bloom, this is the time to bring new ideas and projects to life in your business.
You might want to launch a new project or offer in your business, and you may be exploring new ideas and opportunities that you thought of during the winter months. This really is the time to focus on growing your business and experimenting with new ideas (or old ones) with fresh energy.
Summer : a time for action and expansion
This is probably the season you are most familiar with in your business, and it is one of action, expansion, and outward energy. It’s the season most celebrated in the business world (and the one we often get stuck in).
But with the longer days and vibrant energy used carefully, this season can help you take bold steps, embrace visibility, and make things happen in your business.
You can use this time to promote your business, connect with clients, and put yourself out there more (something that might be harder if you are a more sensitive / deeply feeling solopreneur).
This is a great time to focus on growing your business, maybe take a few more risks, and work on your biggest, most ambitious goals. It’s also a great time to connect and collaborate with others in your industry.
It’s important to avoid getting stuck here and pause to reflect on everything you have achieved after a period of growth.
Autumn : a time for Harvest and preparation.
This is the season we often skip in our business. It is a time to reflect on everything you have accomplished, gather the results, express gratitude, and prepare for the upcoming winter.
Autumn is a beautiful time to help you focus on evaluating your progress from the past few months (or a season of growth and expansion). What did you achieve? Are there any areas in your business that need refining?
You can use this time to prepare for the slower pace of winter by wrapping up projects, organising your business, and reflecting on what you want to bring with you into the next full cycle of business.
By embracing this more reflective energy in your business, you can ensure that you and your business are moving forward in a direction that works with you and supports your overall goals and desires.
Only by sometimes being focused on growth can you build a business that brings you joy and supports you (the business owner).
You probably started your business to help your clients and make them feel seen, supported and generously cared for. But you also need to make sure your business is supporting and tending to you?
If you run and build your business with only one type of energy (usually summer), you will start to fall out of alignment and have a business that no longer feels joyful.
That is usually when you start to feel stuck and drained, and before you know it, you are expelling all of your energy on overthinking, comparison, and busy work!!
Here is how running your business in alignment with the seasons can support you.
Avoid burnout and an overly complicated business that makes your head hurt.
By slowing down and tuning into your business’s natural ebbs and flows, you will rest when it’s time to rest and act when it’s time to act.
No more working till all hours of the night to try and “get ahead” or “catch up” because you know that everything will get done eventually, and you are working on smaller, more manageable tasks during different seasons.
It helps you create a business that feels more energetically sustainable to manage and avoids the burnout that often comes from pushing forward without a season for pause and reflection.
Find your creativity and know where to pour your energy and efforts
When you work in harmony and in flow with the energy of the seasons, you will naturally be more creative (and productive—although I hate that term).
You will eventually find your flow state, where you use your energy effectively and don’t waste it on judging yourself (or comparing your business and journey to others). This is where you let go of all the should-do’s in your business and instead get your business working for you instead of against you.
Where you work with yourself and your energy and do not force yourself to move forward even if you don’t have the energy capacity. You build trust to know that your energy and creativity will be replenished after a season of rest.
Run your business with more intention and clarity, meaning you are less overwhelmed and aren’t spinning your wheels trying to get everything “done.”
You know exactly what you are working on and why. You aren’t building your business according to someone else’s dreams and goals; instead, you are creating a business that works for you and your lifestyle.
Yes, sure, some people dream of having a big team, but maybe you desire to have a lifestyle business that aligns with your personal values, offers flexibility, and prioritises creating a stable and enjoyable business that provides you with enough money while not compromising your quality of life!
You’re not getting stuck creating things that an 8-figure business owner needs, but rather the things that will help you build that life-first / cosy business you love!
And most importantly, creating a business that feels joyful and cosy
That’s what it’s all for, right? Having a business that feels really pleasurable, where you can find joy in the everyday tasks that might otherwise seem mundane. To create a business that prioritises personal enjoyment and creates a space that feels warm, inviting, and deeply aligned with your values, needs, and desires.
To have work that helps you share your gifts with the world, and has a deeper sense of purpose. Helping your work become a form of self-expression and stay connected to the passion that inspired you to do this work in the first place?
How to start running your business in tune with the seasons
I hope this post has inspired you to tune into the seasons and energy around you and run your business in alignment with them. It could be as simple as taking a little time at the start of each season to set your intentions for the season ahead.
Listen to your body and mind and pay attention to what you are feeling or intuitively sensing throughout the year. Rest if you feel drained, or reflect and refine if you feel overwhelmed.
Working this way will help you stay connected to your personal rhythms and build a business that honours your needs.
I can help you with this by working together 1:1 – a year to align your business with the seasons.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you can sign up for my email newsletter, Rituals and Remedies. In it, I love to share my personal practice and rituals for running my business in alignment with the wheel of the year and the natural rhythms of life.
