I was recently inspired by a great thread by Niko Canner that spoke to this concept of the “cycles” in which organisations work. As Niko puts it: “Too often, the cycles by which we manage organizations and structure our work numb us and deaden us, even as they propel us forward.”

Going even further, the way we fit work into our lives isn’t necessarily aligned with the rhythms of our lives - profit-seeking enterprises demand momentum and consistency, but humans aren’t necessarily optimised for momentum and consistency.

I’ve just wrapped up a quite busy period of consulting projects, which happened to also coincide with the late Fall/Winter months here in the Netherlands that don’t inspire the same energy in me that the sunnier summer months do. In hindsight, it felt a bit like pushing against my instincts, which were to step back and “hibernate” a bit. Unlike some, I was actively able to make the choice to scale up my work at this time. I created a busy period for myself.

In his thread, Niko speaks about the “shape” of a year, and the implication here is that the shape is irregular - the year has peaks and valleys, each season isn’t like the uniform side of a perfect square. But many corporate structures demand just that - regularity, consistency, in the “shape” of work over a given period.

In a given year, the “shape” of my work has often been irregular. I have quieter periods, and I have busier periods. In the early years of my jump into the independent consulting life, these contours of my work rhythm felt reactive; I took opportunities when I could get them. Now, they feel more proactive. When peaks and valleys happen, it’s often a choice I actively make.

Yet reading Niko’s thread made me wonder: could I go further? Right now, my yearly “rhythm” is driven by my professional goals, but what of the personal “shape” of my year? Am I simply creating another corporate construct for myself? How can I create a “shape” of a professional year that better integrates with life’s rhythms?

Creating that “shape” evokes the natural shape each year gives us: seasons. In the last year or so, I’ve discovered the framing of life in terms of “seasonality” (credit to many great thinkers here such as Alice Katter, Shaan Puri, and surely several others I’m forgetting). This is the idea that life naturally comes in cycles, and that the pursuit of consistency isn’t mandatory (despite how society and organisations tend to push us in this direction).

Embracing the idea of seasonality in my work and in my life is new for me, but something I’m actively exploring. I’m hugely fortunate to have carved out a profession that allows for a great deal of flexibility, and I’m beginning to think about how I can further direct the “shape” of my work more intentionally - not just in a given year, but over a given period of time.

I think this idea of shaping work in “seasons” appeals to me because it heavily overlaps with one of my core beliefs - that we should actively choose and, if need be, create our ideal work (and life), instead of passively letting it choose, and at times shape, us.

For those of you reading this, I’m curious to hear about your experiences with “seasonal work”, whatever that means to you - I’d love to hear from you!