The Energy of Winter: The Gifts of Rest & Consistency
As I’m writing this I am sitting at one of my favorite coffee shops because I HAD to get out of the house to be productive today. It was just one of those days. Even though it’s like 20 degrees out I got myself together and out the door. As someone who worships the sun and could spend all day every day on a beach somewhere, this time of year is particularly difficult for me living in the Northeast. Can you relate? I usually start to really feel it in February but for some reason the winter blues have come a bit earlier for me this year.
I try to remain curious. What is my experience teaching me? What can this time of year offer to us? How can we embrace the slowing down of the winter season? Or why should we be slowing down I suppose is the real question we should be asking ourselves. What are the benefits?
We really should take more hints and advice from nature. Okay, I know we still need to stay productive. We can’t just become a bear and sleep the entire season in a cave somewhere as enticing as that may seem. So what if we could focus more on staying consistent while also devoting more time to rest and reflection? Would that help us embrace the winter energy. Rest is productive too.
Over the years of teaching private music lessons I’ve found that students of all ages come to their lessons feeling an almost inherent guilt or shame over “not practicing enough”. Even littles who have very little life experience seem to have this pressure of “all or nothing” embedded into their psyche. I have spent many a conversation reminding students of the ebb and flow of life and how consistency is more important than perfection. There will never be a “perfect practice habit”. Notice all of my use of quotations. I really want to hammer home all of the theories and stories and beliefs as far as practice goes. What holds a student or YOU back from follow through? Most likely a fear of not doing it perfectly. Well guess what, just showing up consistently and in that moment doing your best - that is what matters. It is so much easier to build consistency AND confidence when we take the pressure off. Don’t try to be perfect, don’t try to do more, just show up. And show up often.
As someone who is overloaded with creative ideas on a daily basis to the point of overwhelm and exhaustion, I am tapping into my own advice of choosing to stay consistent this season while taking extra time to reflect and rest. My ideas aren’t going anywhere. If anything I am giving them the space and time to marinate until they are ready to sprout in the SPRING! Okay, I know, weird metaphor but it works. LOL. So this is your cue to drop the guilt over needing more rest or not having the motivation to go full speed into that new goal you felt you HAD to set for the “new year”. It’s a sign. Chill out. Relax. This is your permission to change your perspective on this time of year. It’s funny how things just flow when we take the pressure off. You should try it.
Here are some questions to ponder or journal on:
What habits or projects am I showing up inconsistently for because I’m afraid of messing up or not doing something perfectly?
How can I show up more consistently for myself in a way that allows natural flow in my life instead of added pressure?
What are some things, ideas, goals, opportunities that I really want to pursue but know now is not the right time? Make a list to come back to in the Spring :)