Here's Why You Should Create a Winter Project List
Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I spent Friday listlessly puttering around the house. My emotional state was a mix of despair at all the free unstructured time, as well as guilt; wasn't free time the thing I have been asking for?
A late afternoon yoga class brought me some clarity that would lift me out of this funk. I needed some simple projects to anchor my two remaining weekend days and give me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I knew that adding in just a small amount of structure via a project would not be stifling or overwhelming, but invigorating and satisfying. One of the projects I decided to undertake had been on my list since June: to sew a fabric cover for my printer, which has added just a bit more soulfulness to my office environment. The fact that this project was impactful but hardly urgent made it the perfect choice for such a weekend.
I've been thinking about how this concept might scale and translate to the winter we have coming up. As we approach the darkest day of the year and begin what I’m expecting to feel like a long, dark winter, I'm looking for a project or set of goals that will help keep me anchored in a healthy emotional state and pull me forward. Winter symbolically represents a time of hibernation, of going within, of death that allows for renewal in the spring. This year, the pandemic has amplified that symbolism so much so as to potentially lay bare an unproductive despair. This can be thwarted with a just small amount of structure.
During a time when many don't know where their next meal will come from, I recognize that project planning itself is a privilege. This fact alone may compel you to focus your projects on service, but don’t feel bad if you need a different flavor of project for your mental survival and renewal. My project might be hand-writing some holiday notes to far-away friends, and having a book list for January through March that I commit to. There will probably be some jigsaw puzzles to fill in the gaps as well.
Another luxury I have is that of being an introvert during a time when going within is natural. But extroverts can have projects that serve them, too. If you are an extrovert, your "winter project" may be something like setting up calls with old friends each Saturday evening. Or maybe it's volunteering at a food pantry on the weekends.
In case you’re wondering how this relates to your leadership, we’re talking about your personal foundation. This is about enacting your resilience for what will hopefully be the final push to get through this pandemic. Cultivating a healthy, grounded state of mind allows you to focus at work and show up for others.
