There are more than 4 seasons…

It’s that time of year again…the weather is changing, the smell of the “eating holidays” is almost upon us (you know, all the ones between Halloween and Valentine’s Day), we are well into Q4, and the annual performance review cycle is starting.

You are almost certainly familiar with spring, summer, winter, and fall, but depending on your situation, you may have different seasons to prepare for too. Most things in our lives follow a pattern if you take the time to notice.

When I started my professional life at Kimberly-Clark, a senior leader said that we needed to forget the four seasons and now learn the three seasons of tissue: cold and flu, back to school, and allergy.

If you ask my children, they might define life in terms of the school calendar: the start of school, fall break, Christmas break, winter break, spring break, and summer break.

As professionals, we often divide time based on a fiscal calendar: 1Q, 2Q, 3Q and 4Q.

The point is not what calendar we use, but that we understand the pattern and know what is coming. If you are someone who gets surprised every time certain events come around, take this as a wake up call…there is a pattern…find it! You will rise above the rest and be the ones people want to follow (regardless of your title).