Preparing for Seasonal Change

The Northwoods is a 2000-acre tract of land sporting over 30 miles of crisscrossing trails. It sits at the base of the Ozark National Forest and is popular with hikers, trail runners, and cross-country bicycling enthusiasts. The rolling hills of the Northwoods offer elevation changes of up to 500 feet. The area also sports three lakes (Bethel, Dillon, and Sanderson), as well as pavilions and playground areas at two of the trailheads.

I took my dog, Armani, for a hike in the Northwoods last week and we were treated to an amazing palette of nature on display, as the changing of seasons is well underway in Hot Springs AR. The air was brisk, the wind was cool, and the leaves were in full color-change mode. Brilliant oranges, yellows, reds, and pinks lit up the landscape.

It was the end of one season and the beginning of another.

In the fall, grass and trees take a break from growing. The sap withdraws from the leaves and branches, collecting in the roots and storing nutrients for the long winter months. As a result, photosynthesis ceases in the leaves, revealing their true coloration before the leaves detach from the limbs and fall to the earth.

The falling leaves serve as a natural fertilizer, improving soil fertility in the process. As the leaves decompose, they release essential nutrients back into the soil, enriching the soil with organic matter. What has been drawn from the earth during the prime growing months is returned to the earth during the composting season of fall and winter. It’s an amazing cycle of replenishment that prepares the ground to feed the tree what it needs to grow in the next season of life.

During the winter, rain and snow provide needed moisture to help break down the compost into nutritional compounds that can be absorbed in the next growing season. Snow, in particular, acts as a slow-release fertilizer releasing nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium back into the soil. It also serves as an insulator protecting trees from fluctuations in temperature.

All of this is preparing the ground and the plants for one thing.

What’s next?

In life, as in nature, seasons change.

Think about our journey from birth until where we are today. Infancy gives way to adolescence. Adolescence gives rise to the pre-teen and teen years. From there, we transition into young adulthood and then adulthood. We enter our working years, get married, raise a family. Our kids grow up and go out on their own, leaving us as empty nesters.

We transition from our working years into retirement, enjoying (as PBS economist, Tom Hegna says) our “Go-Go Years”, our “Slow-Go Years”, and eventually our “No Go Years.” We experience empty nester syndrome a second time when our significant other passes away, and we eventually leave this earth to go to our heavenly reward.

Educationally, we go from learning at Mom and Dad’s feet to enroll in kindergarten. We graduate to elementary school, before transitioning to Middle School Junior, High, and eventually High School. After we graduate, some go on to college, others to VoTech, and still others enter the Work-A-Day world.

Again, one season giving way to another in this endless circle of life.

Yet, each season we find ourselves in is nothing more than a preparing ground for the next season coming our way. Just as summer follows spring and winter follows the fall, we too will experience seasonal change.

The question we must all answer is what we do with the season we are in.

Do we make the most of the time we’ve been allotted in this season of life so we are prepared for what’s next? Or do we squander the opportunity this season presents to us, right now, to learn, grow, and improve in some way?

The seasons of our lives will change, whether we like it or not. The question we must answer in each season is whether we are preparing for seasonal change.

Are we preparing for What’s Next?

In the martial arts, you begin the journey as a white belt, a novice lacking in understanding. As you progress through the ranks, you are continually preparing for “What’s Next” as you learn new technique, applications, and movements. Each step in the journey to Black Belt is marked by perpetual, continual preparation.

The process, at least in traditional martial arts, is slow. You realize early on that the focus is not on how fast you can get there, but how much you can learn on the journey. Lessons learned in one season help prepare you for what you will learn and build upon in the next season, and the seasons to follow.

Each season serves as a foundation you can build upon in subsequent seasons. If you want to go far, and go high, the foundational lessons in each season need to be firm so it can support the weight of what you’ll build upon in the next season.

If you fail to master the concepts and principles in each season of the journey, you limit how far and how high you can build and go in the future.

More importantly, if you fail to prepare for the next season, you get to repeat the season you’re in once again.

Promotion is not guaranteed. It is earned.

Even once you get to Black Belt, there is still more to learn. A black belt is not a symbol you have arrived. It is a symbol that you are now a serious student and the real learning of what it means to be a martial artist will now begin.

The pursuit of Black Belt Excellence is ongoing, both in the dojo and in life.

Black Belt Leaders are always preparing for “What’s Next.”

Your early career is often marked by building your reputation and proving yourself as you gain mastery over your craft, profession, or trade. You take on new responsibilities, build critical relationships, and gain needed experience in leadership.

As this season gives way to the next level of leadership, you often find yourself leading teams, driving innovation, and achieving results. You find yourself mentoring and training others, taking on new and expanded leadership roles, and now you’re dealing with even more difficult challenges and decisions. You’re still learning and growing, building trust, and creating WINs for yourself and your team.

As this too gives way to the next season, you find yourself leading organizations, mentoring and consulting, serving on corporate boards, and giving back to your local community. You’re equipping the next generation of leaders who will one day take your place even as you’re transitioning to the next “What’s Next” in your personal and professional life.

What are the key things you need to be aware of as you’re preparing for seasonal change?

I believe there are five you need to pay attention to.

The first is growth and development. Leaders are learners. The Black Belt Leader understands there is no finish line. The relentless pursuit of Black Belt Excellence is ongoing, as there is always something more to learn or improve upon. It’s an evolutionary process where each day we strive to be better than the day before.

Secondly, preparation for the next season in life requires adaptability. Successful leaders adapt to changing conditions and challenges. They understand the status quo has great power, so they constantly challenge the status quo so they don’t become stagnant or settle for less. The world is constantly adapting and changing, and leaders must do the same.

When it comes to preparing for the next season, the third area of focus for the Black Belt Leader is developing resilience. As a leader, you can and will experience setbacks and failure. This is part of leadership. Resilience is cultivated when you face those times with determination and a willingness to learn so you’re better prepared for tomorrow.

The fourth area is impact. People do what people see. As a leader, you’re in the forefront. People are watching you. You’re setting the example for what is expected, both by what you say and (more importantly) what you do. Black Belt Leaders strive to make a positive impact in the lives of others and in their local community.

The last area of focus is legacy. Black Belt Leaders understand the changing of seasons, and are focused on preparing those who will one day take their place. You want to share your knowledge, wisdom, and life experience with those you are leading, so they can add your collective wisdom to their own. Your role as a leader is to empower other leaders who build upon the foundation of your work when you’re gone, leaving a lasting legacy of relentlessly pursuing excellence as you’re preparing them for “What’s Next.”

Seasons come and seasons go. This season, rightfully used, prepares you (and those around you) for “What’s Next.”

Make the most of the season you’re in, right now. Take full advantage of this time and fully leverage the opportunity before you, as you prepare for the changing of seasons in your life.