Everyone experiences different seasons of life. While our life seasons are not as predictable as the seasons of nature, we can predict that eventually they will come. We will know summer: sunshine, happiness, fun. We will move into autumn, a season of change, busyness, and diligence. Eventually, we experience a season like winter, cold, dark, and lonely. And seasons like springtime, with excitement, relief, awe, and motivation.
Life changes, but our desire to enjoy life does not change. Nor does our God change, the One who gives us life and who has “created us in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
How do you find a good rhythm amidst the changes?
When we start something new, it is valuable to “count the cost” as Jesus says in a parable in Luke 14. You can’t build a tower successfully without first sitting down, measuring, counting, planning, and then you begin building.
Hopefully, a new season of life allows for this recognition. Time to look at what life includes during this season – is it a season at home for raising toddlers, or a season with adolescents entering their senior year of school? – and to measure, count, and plan how to engage in the season well. Other times, a new season of life takes us by surprise, and we’re running to catch up.
Finding rhythm in life is very dependent on the particulars of your life. Consider some of the following questions to think through your season, your life, your rhythm:
- What are your life values and top priorities? Consider God, family, vocation, friendships. What about this unique season of life, do certain things need to rise to the top of the list?
- What brings you the most joy in life? What about peace? How do you relax and calm down when you are stressed? It will be important to create at least some time to incorporate these activities or experiences into your life, even if they look different than they have in the past.
- What does your daily schedule look like? Weekly schedule? Where are there commitments, and how do they fit into the priorities you’ve identified? There may be areas to prune and areas to invest more energetically into, during this unique season.
- How long do you anticipate this season will last? Your kids are only newborns for a short season. They are only adolescents living at home for a few years. Starting a new business may take many years to thrive, but it won’t be “new” for long. If there are timelines in place, how does this impact your day-to-day choices and priorities?
Many people say they don’t like change. But change is inevitable. Consider what is most important to you in the big picture, and incorporate that into the sometimes changing smaller picture.