Happy Summer!! I love all the seasons(even winter), but summer is very special to me because it means I get to celebrate my birthday!! I’ve been thinking a lot about the changing seasons not just around us, but in my own life. I’ve shared on my blog that I started a new job in November, and while it’s been an amazing experience thus far it is much more demanding than my previous job. And to be honest, I’ve been struggling over these past 7 months with balancing the demands of my position with my personal life. Until one day it dawned on me,  I’m in a different season of my life and because of that I need to change the ways that I move.  So, if you’re like me and you find yourself navigating a new season of your life, I have some tips that I hope will help!

1. Try to figure out what this new season will bring: For me, I realized that this new season is bringing growth into my life. Growth in my professional development,  and growth in pushing me outside of my comfort zone. And I’ll be honest it’s uncomfortable and at times mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. But I can see the ways in which I’ve grown over the past few months as well as how my previous season prepared me for this season.
2. Know that each season in your life will prepare you for the next: The skills that I learned in my previous positions have helped me as I navigate this new position. The life skills that I gained gave me a solid foundation for the challenges that I now face. I started walking and making time for physical activity in my previous position because the role gave me a bit more freedom in my schedule; walking also helps my mental health and because I know this, I know that I must make the time to exercise and keep myself healthy especially now that I feel more overwhelmed with work.
3. Understand that what sustained you before will not be enough to sustain you now: What worked for me in my past season is not necessarily what’s working for me in this season. I used to wake up and go for my morning walks before I started work. With my new role, I don’t always have that freedom. Sometimes I need to wake up and start working and then when I have a few moments to myself I can go outside for a quick walk in my neighborhood. I realized that one of the reasons why I was feeling so stressed was because I kept trying to make my old life fit in this new season instead of taking the lessons that I learned and working to fit them into my new life.
4. Give yourself grace: This is probably where I struggle the most. I’ve realized that I set very high standards for myself and when I don’t meet them, I allow myself no mercy. If I sign up for an event and then find myself too exhausted to go, I berate myself for not pushing through. But the truth is, even though I have the capacity to do many things it does not mean that I must. Growth requires a lot out of you, so for this new season I need to be patient and understanding with myself. Allow yourself the grace to know that you are learning and figuring out this new season as you go through it and there will be some bumps along the way.

A new season brings so much hope and beauty with it. But it also brings challenges and new experiences which can be scary and uncomfortable to go through. I hope these tips help you as you navigate this new season of life. Stay cool!