Summer and Other Seasons

Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.

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This week, I read Cal Newport’s latest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. In it, he mentions the idea of seasonality in life and work.

Some people have truly seasonal jobs. Teachers come to mind, as do ski resort workers, amusement park ride operators, and farmers (I’m married to one!). But many modern jobs, especially those under the “knowledge work” umbrella, are not tied to the rhythms of the seasons. 

It’s hard to completely escape the pull of the seasons, though. For example, it’s not just teachers whose lives and schedules are dependent on the school calendar — it’s also students and parents of school-age children. I’ve seen lots of self-employed parents (and traditionally employed parents, for that matter) talking about their summer plans and how they plan to juggle work and childcare over the next few months. 

I’m not a parent, and it has been 10 years since I was personally beholden to an academic calendar, but that seasonal rhythm feels permanently ingrained in my mind and body. In particular, the siren of summer tugs at my attention with her sultry song, and I find myself wondering why summer break stops being a thing in adulthood.

Alas, instead of a summer break (fun!), many freelancers experience a “summer slump.” Business slows down, fewer projects come in, and income dips (not fun!). Personally, I am in a bit of a slump right now, and last summer was slow too. 

In times like this, I remind myself that self employment has its ups and downs, and it’s best to embrace this variability instead of fighting against it. It’s a feature, not a bug. There’s a cliche Pinterest-worthy quote that applies nicely here: There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long. Don't expect yourself [or your business] to, either.

We need seasons of rest to recharge and regroup. We need breaks from client work to grow our businesses and enjoy personal projects. We need time to absorb before we can squeeze.

For those who can’t take months-long breaks, Cal Newport offers the idea of “small seasonality.” Part of me objects to blocking off chunks of time on my calendar every week and calling it seasonality, but we must take what we can get, I guess. 

I would also recommend aligning your time off with times when your customers/clients are naturally less busy. I took all of December off last year, and it ruffled precisely zero feathers because my client projects were already wrapped up. In the future, I hope to take a long summer sabbatical, because ☀️ 🏖️ 🛶 🍉 🥾 🍦 👙

In the spirit of seasonality, Wishful Working is going on summer break for a few weeks! My brother and sister-in-law are here visiting us in Canada, and then I’m traveling to Iowa to see more family and celebrate the 4th of July. I’m planning to be back in your inboxes July 18! 😎

See you then,

Kara

Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.

Who am I? I’m a freelance writer and entrepreneur based in small-town Saskatchewan. I write longform content for B2B clients, and I help founders and independents name their brands and projects through a new venture called Naming. Connect with me by replying to this email or finding me on LinkedIn or Twitter.