What season is it?
Why it's important to know what season of your life your in...
EFFIGIES — Bringing nerds together to reveal the hidden wisdom of comics for fuller, more productive lives!
What’s Inside:
Life has seasons, but not like you’re thinking.
Why it’s important to “whole-ass” one thing.
Seasons framework.
Now that we’ve hit September, the weather’s in that weird place between summer and fall, between 90 degrees and 40. Even if this weren’t the case, I’d be thinking about seasons.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is that life has seasons—not in the annual, quarterly sense we’re used to thinking about, though. Whether it’s work, creativity, relationships, or personal growth, we’re not meant to do everything all at once. Instead, there are phases when we’re intensely focused on one thing and not others.
As someone who’s juggled multiple creative projects and life responsibilities, I’ve come to realize the power of embracing these seasons to avoid burnout and create my best work.
Life has seasons.
Just like in nature, our lives have cycles of growth, productivity, and rest. There are times when you’re in full sprint mode, pushing toward a deadline or goal. Other times, you might be planning, brainstorming, or recharging.
Let me take a step back to frame this a bit more clearly, though. When I say "season," I’m not referring to the annual cycle of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Rather, for me, a season is a variable period of time when I have a singular focus. For example, I used to write pretty much all year long, working on a few books at any given time. These days, though, I write one book at a time, and the "season" is from the day I start plotting the book to the day it hits readers’ hands. So right now, it’s No Heroine 2 season (more on this below).
Recognizing these phases has helped me avoid the trap of trying to do everything at once. It’s important to acknowledge the ebb and flow of life (and creativity) and to give yourself permission not to be in "go" mode all the time.Whole-ass one thing.
Whole-ass one thing.
How I arrived at the seasonal mentality is a long story of trial and error. Rather than bore you with those details, I’ll lean on a wonderful quote from the equally wonderful Parks and Recreation that perfectly encapsulates the key takeaway:
It’s simple but profound. Too often, we spread ourselves too thin, juggling multiple projects or commitments and not giving any of them our best effort. When you try to do everything at once, you end up doing nothing particularly well.
I’ve learned that the key to real progress is to fully commit to one project or goal at a time. By focusing your energy on just one thing, you not only make better progress but also create a higher-quality end result.
When you frame your life in terms of seasons (i.e., "it’s writing season"), the single-minded focus allows you to dive deep into the work, explore new ideas, and ultimately achieve better results than if your focus is split.
Living in seasons.
With the above concept of whole-assing in mind, in the last few years, I’ve realized that writing has become a seasonal endeavor for me. I no longer try to write all year long; instead, I focus on one comic series at a time. In this season of my life, I’m focused on No Heroine 2. This seasonal approach helps me dive deep into a project without feeling overwhelmed by competing creative demands. When I’m in a writing season, that’s where all my energy goes—into brainstorming, drafting, and revising the series I’m working on. This focus not only allows me to complete projects more efficiently but also leads to more cohesive and compelling stories.
During other seasons, I step back from writing to focus on other parts of my life or to recharge creatively. Whether it’s traveling, doing research, or simply reflecting on what’s next, these off-seasons (which are seasons unto themselves) are essential to sustaining my long-term creativity.
And the same is true of the other areas of my life. For the better part of the last two years, I’ve been really focused on my personal fitness. So in this season of my life, I’ve been going out less and have been more strict with my eating. Going out to eat with friends and enjoying a good meal aren’t completely eliminated from my life, but they are deemphasized while I pursue my goals. And when this season ends, those things will still be there.
Note that I’ve mentioned that I am in No Heroine 2 season and personal fitness season. You can be in more than one season simultaneously, so long as they are not directly competing for the same attention, as would be the case if I were writing two books or lifting weights to bulk up while training to run a marathon.
Also note that while I might deemphasize areas in my life during a particular season, I acknowledge that those things will be waiting for me on the other side of achieving my goals. During fitness season, there are no Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and if you know me, you know that hurts. But they will be there next year.
Seasons framework.
As I write this, we’re nearing the end of No Heroine 2 season. It’s still a few months and a Kickstarter campaign away, but it’s got me reflecting on this past creative season of my life and thinking about what’s next. Though I’ve thought in “seasons” for a while now, I’ve never really formalized a framework for acting on the season model. So here are a few questions I’ve been using lately to get on-season and stay there:
What’s my goal?
Am I whole-assing that one goal?
If not, which of my competing goals is more important right now?
What will the end of the season look like (how will I know I’ve achieved my goal)?
I’ve toyed with adding a question about time-boxing seasons, but it doesn’t feel…organic to me, and it doesn’t necessarily leave room to fall in love with the process. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big believer in deadlines, but for this particular framework, something with a bit more wiggle room just feels right.
So, with all of the above in mind, what season are you in right now? Are you in more than one season at the same time? Are those seasons competing? How will you know that season is ending? Take a few minutes to truly evaluate your goals and make sure that you’re not half-assing any of them. Whole-ass one thing and get it done well.
- Frank
I’m Frank Gogol, writer of comics such as Dead End Kids, No Heroine, Unborn, Power Rangers, and more. If this newsletter was interesting / helpful / entertaining…
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After credits scene.
One of the milestones of any writing season is the completion of the book’s cover. A few weeks ago, I shared some of the process Criss and I worked through to come up with the cover concept for No Heroine 2 — or No Heroine: Second Chances. Following up on that, here’s the more or less finished product:
Barring any minor tweaks, this is the main cover you can expect for the book when the Kickstarter launches (more info on that in the coming weeks)! Personally, I think Criss did an awesome job matching the style of the original series while making it his own. I can’t wait to see this thing printed!