Winding Down or Winding Up?

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a bit of wisdom from a co-worker. This esteemed colleague is someone who is very attuned to the energy of her surroundings, similar to me; but unlike me, she was able to put into words something I'm feeling in the space around me, but haven't had language for. Or at least, I haven't had elegant or simple language for it; but she did. 

The upshot of what she reflected back is that there's something strange happening in the world this year. Folks seem to be skipping past the usual cadence of end of year, restful energy -- what she called winding down -- and jumping right to the start-up energy that is typical at the start of the year -- what she called winding up. Her exact words were "instead of winding down 2023, we are winding up 2024". 

Her poignant phrase stopped me in my tracks (which was her intent, I'm pretty sure). 

While her admonition was intended for a specific group system that she and I belong to, I can feel that her words apply much more broadly. And so, I want to share her wisdom here with you, my loyal reader (sorry if I sound a little Bridgerton-esque). 

Before you read any further, take a moment and take a big, deep breath. Having done that, take another one. And if needed, take one more. Essentially, let yourself settle into the space of this moment. And now, hear this:

The natural rhythm of time and seasons is such that we are all supposed to be slowing down as we near the end of one year and the start of a new one. If you look around to the natural world, you can see the truth of this: animals hibernate, plants go dormant, the days shorten as a deliberate reminder and invitation to all of us to slow down. There is a way that we are all meant to enter a period of rest in some measure. While the new year often holds much promise, and while there may be very specific things that you and I want to accomplish, start, complete, or engage in, the fact is that we must slow down and rest, before we gear up and move forward. 

In a nutshell, we must let ourselves wind down.

Now, I get it. Winding down can feel challenging. This is especially true if there are things we want to do in an effort to fix or course correct based on what has happened up to this moment. Doing those things without resting, pausing or slowing down, however, is a recipe for disaster; without being dramatic, I suspect that it may, in fact, be a recipe for abject failure. 

I also understand that slowing down can feel like a tall order if we are used to continually being on the go. I know plenty of people who find slowing down a completely unfamiliar experience. What I want you to know is that just because it's unfamiliar or uncomfortable doesn't mean that it isn't natural and necessary. In fact, it is the epitome of natural and absolutely necessary. We must all slow down at times, and as we enter the last few weeks of this year, it's actually a very natural time to do so. This is the moment. 

Your body needs you to slow down.

Your brain needs you to slow down.

Your spirit needs you to slow down.

And truly the world around you needs you to slow down if only for a period of time.

So, here's the bottom-line: slow yourself down; wind the year down; let things settle around you. Believe it or not, the things that need to be done will still get done. The plans that need to get implemented will get implemented. The change that needs to unfold will unfold. And it will all do so in a more efficient, effective way, by virtue of the fact that you allowed yourself to WIND DOWN, before starting to wind things up.