It’s that time of year again. It’s not technically the New Year, but to me, every new season represent a fresh beginning.
Now, as the days has started to be longer and Mother Nature has started to grow & bloom, I feel myself filled with the same eagerness to start anew.
If we don’t live intentionally - start of a new season can easily pass us by. And in my own experience, it is the years where I forget (or simply forgo) my seasonal reset, that I’m left feeling scattered and overwhelmed a few weeks in.
Therefore, at the start of each new season, I now conduct a quarterly reset. And regardless of what the season is for you, you can use this process any time that you’d like to create a new start.
After experimenting with a variety of “reset” activities over the years, here’s the system that I’ve found works for me. My resets contain three into three parts: Looking back, looking around, and looking ahead.
1. LOOKING BACK
Looking back is all about reflection-- An opportunity to take stock of how things have been going and how far you’ve come.
If journaling is your thing, you can free-style the answers to the questions below. Otherwise, you’re welcome to bullet point. Either way though, I recommend actually writing your answers. I’ve found (and science confirms) that putting pen to paper activates the mind in a way that merely mentally contemplating and/or typing cannot.
When you’re ready, consider the following prompts:
Big wins: What wins have you experienced in the last quarter? Where have you succeeded? What goals have you accomplished? What do you feel good about? What’s going right?
This is your chance to ponder what is going well. Remember, while success sometimes takes the form of checking a big goal off your list, smaller and less “remarkable” successes are often meaningful. For example, learning how to set healthy boundaries or consistently engaging in a new daily practice can also be life-changing and noteworthy. Big or small, note any meaningful “wins” you’ve experienced.
Highlights: When you look back over the last quarter, what has been the most enjoyable? Which days, events, or occurrences stand out as particularly special? What have been your highlights?
What’s not working?: Where in your life or business is there considerable friction? On a daily or weekly basis, what causes repeated frustration? Consider various areas of your home, relationships, work life, personal goals, productivity systems, and digital atmosphere. What is one area in which a simple change could make an impact?
Something may jump immediately to mind. But if not, pay careful attention to your emotions and thoughts over the next few days. Notice when you become agitated, and pay particular attention to instances where the locus of control lies with you.
2. LOOKING AROUND
Now it’s time to take a look at the space surrounding you at the present moment.
The “looking around” portion of this reset is all about cleaning and clearing your physical and digital environments. If you’re anything like, well, most people, you probably have a space in your life or business that could use a little spring cleaning.
Take a look at your current offers; do they still light you up? Are you excited to sell them? ARE they selling? What about your content? Are you feeling inspired or bored? Take some time to really reflect on how things look and feel in your business, and make a clean sweep.
3. LOOKING AHEAD
Part 3 of the seasonal reset entails preparing for the months to come. Here’s where you look ahead and map out your vision and goals for the upcoming season.
Take time to reflect and journal on a few things: How do you want to FEEL in the next few months? What does your ideal schedule look like? What offer do you want to launch? What FUN activities can you schedule that get you out of your routine and feeling joy?
There you have it. A three part reset to leave you feeling refreshed and energized for the season ahead. And again, regardless of what season it is for you right now, taking time to deliberately welcome the upcoming chapter is a powerful way to set your intentions and start this portion of your journey off on the right foot.