I am a big fan of reflection.  In our Western Culture, we have this tendency to move so fast that once we finish one thing, we are off to the next. I believe that slowing down helps us speed up.

In the Navajo tradition, they align the Four Directions with the Seasons, with each one symbolizing it’s piece in the balance of life and nature.

1. The East symbolizes Spring where the warming Earth generates new life. Where seeds sprout into flourishing plants.  Where the Sun dawns.  Where new ideas are generated and grow.
2. The South symbolizes Summer where flowers turn into fruit and vegetables. Growth abounds. The Sun shines bright in the sky and we are making hay while the sun shines.  This is where we are in action.
3. The West symbolizes the Fall and the harvest of what we have grown. The leaves fall, the days run cooler.  This is the time of Thanksgiving, of celebration, reflection and appreciation. We take inventory, preparing ourselves for the Winter ahead.
4. The North symbolizes Winter and hibernation.  A time to rest, renew and dream into our futures and the time ahead.

In this tradition, everything and every time has it’s purpose.  Each Season prepares us for the next.  It is symbiotic, interconnected cycle.  In our Western Culture, our tendency is to move between ideas and action (East and South) and we quickly move through, if at all, reflection/celebration and rest (West and North).  I believe this is a huge contributor to 43% of corporate workers experiencing burnout in 2023. (Nearly half!).  We don’t celebrate our successes nearly enough, reflect on our learning or take the time to rest and recharge and plan before springing back into action.  As a result, we feel tired and deflated and we miss out on valuable learning from our previous successes and failures that help us create better plans for the future.

I start each and every coaching call with Celebrations.  When my clients start working with me, this can feel very weird and awkward to them because most of them are not used to celebrating their successes.  Their tendency? To dive right into the problem they need to solve. In the first month or so of coaching, when I ask them what they want to celebrate, it is very common for people to say things like “I’m here” or “I’m still kicking” when I ask them what they want to celebrate.  They may be making light, but it is truly remarkable how atrophied this muscle has become in our culture. I remind them that even in the darkest day, there is something to celebrate if you look for it.  I dig.  A few months in, this becomes a well developed muscle and I can feel the significant difference in their levity and energy when they embrace celebrating successes.  Celebration fuels their fire, and let’s face it, we all need fuel for our fire.  I will take all the fuel I can get!

I created a Year End Exercise – as we move from Fall into Winter – to help connect my clients to their Wins, Gains and Breakthroughs as well as their Losses, Disappointments and Breakdowns for the year; excavate their biggest learnings from the year; and use that as fuel to dream into the next year.  It is often eye opening, deeply inspiring, and has them excited for the year to come. I invite you to join us this year in this Exercise (you can download it here).

If you choose to do the exercise, please share with me:

1. One celebration you would love to have acknowledgement around (brag on!  I will be your biggest cheerleader!)
2. Three things you learned as a result of both your Wins and your Disappointments in 2023
3. Any dreams you want to claim for 2024 or beyond (I will be your witness!)

I can’t wait to hear from you!

With appreciation,