There are some laws of nature and life that just occur. Why they occur and how they occur is not so much the issue. It’s recognising that for whatever reason they work.

Recently I moved out of the suburbs to a semi-rural property. It’s something my wife and I had spoken about for some time. And there’s something about being on the land that helps you recognise these laws at work in a different dimension.

Just as there are four seasons throughout our calendar year, so there are four seasons financially.

Let’s start with autumn or as our friends across the Pacific like to call it “fall.”

AUTUMN

Fall is an apt term for autumn.  It’s exactly what happens.  The leaves “fall” to the ground from the trees.  However before this occurs there are warning signs.  The leaves stop growing as quickly as they did in the previous seasons.  There is a slowing.  The leaves change colour.  With certain trees the leaves may start around the edges first, and then work their way to the centre, or they turn a completely different colour before they eventually turn brown, drop from their branch, and fall to the ground.

Some years ago I went through a financial autumn.  And looking back the warning signs were there.

I was in a business arrangement that was starting to break down. Sales were getting harder to come by, and the leads were drying up. There was a realisation that relying on previous business relationships for income was not sustainable. Attempts were made to get other relationships going, but they were slow in getting off the ground, and I was not personally profiting from them.

My gut told something was wrong. Very wrong!

Thankfully I had stored a lot of cash away in the good times and set things up with the bank to increase resources to draw on.

But at the same time I knew things were not good. I prayed like crazy, as the tell-tale signs that life was about to change were there. I just didn’t know how long winter was going to last.

WINTER

Most people I speak to, don’t like this season. And I can understand why. It’s cold, it’s wet, and rainy, and in some parts of the world it snows. Winter is also dark, as the earth is further from the sun on its axis. Light is required for growth. So when there is less of it, things literally are dim.

It’s the storms of life that really knock us about.

Financially, I found my winter resulting in a breakdown of a business arrangement. What I had been building and working for over the years was now over. The dream in the form I thought it would take shape in was dying.

Branches break in storms. For me there was a breaking away of working ties, which I had thought would go on for years to come.

How you handle these storms is paramount! At the time it hurts! But I knew I had to “get on with it”, and start the next chapter of my life quickly. It took some time to negotiate through, unwind the old arrangement, and then define the new. When I recognised the new path and what it looked like, I got underway very quickly. Getting the next chapter in motion is paramount.

I realised time stops for no one. And no, “life is not fair, so deal with it!”

In hindsight the breaking away was pruning. Dead wood serves nothing. Additionally branches must also be pruned so more may grow. This tearing, while painful at the time, actually helps us. We get rid of the things that aren’t serving us anymore.

After it occurred, I realised that for the past few years I had been very frustrated and unhappy in that business arrangement. It wasn’t until I stopped working in the day to day operations, my wife noticed how much happier I had become. It was like a burden had been lifted, and if I wasn’t going to change it circumstances were now forcing to move on!

While financially things were incredibly uncertain, I knew I was coming into a place where I was doing what I was really meant to with my life. Coupled with prayer, I had a peace that was beyond me that helped me buckle down through the storm.

Practically, I started a new business. I worked my butt off! I had to get things off the ground, produce product, provide material for a new deal I had found, and build systems and a website to be able to deliver the new business. As farmers do, it was a time of ploughing and trying to plant the seed so it could be watered in time. It was hard work, and it had to get underway immediately!

One final comment on winter …

Winter is a time where the trees are rocked from side to side in the storms. This actually strengthens the tree. It loosens the soil around its roots, allowing the roots to extend and strengthen. The growth actually occurs beneath the soil. The tree becomes stronger as it anchors further into the earth.

When we view our winters this way, it grants us strength and hope to get through. We are getting stronger. While on the surface it seems we are getting pruned and battered, beneath the soil, in our character and “inner man”, we are growing. There is great strength forming.

SPRING

At last! “The winter is over and the turtle doves are singing.” Spring is a time of birthing and joy. The animals have their young. The plants start new shoots, the trees begin to form new leaves and branches, and flowers burst everywhere.

This is when new hope forms. All the hard work and pain experienced in winter begins to pay off. It doesn’t happen suddenly, but there are moments of joy that begin to confirm you are on the right path.

I remember the joy when I made my first sale in that new business. All my frustrations, hard work, I knew had not be in vain. However, I was also aware that just as a new born has their whole life ahead of them, this was just the beginning. There was still a lot that had to be done, but it was a confirmation that things were on the right path.

New beginnings are always a beautiful season.

SUMMER

Summer is when the hard work of the previous seasons pays off. It is harvest time!

However the harvest MUST be brought in. It is hard work, and there has to be an attitude of “all hands on deck”. You have limited time to bring in that harvest. You cannot get lazy and assume it will always be there. If you do, someone who will look after it better than you will take it. Money will always go to those who will steward it wisely.

The better your equipment and tools and systems are to bring in that harvest the less you will miss out on bringing in the load.

There’s an old story in the Bible that talks about how Peter, a fisherman, was fishing all night and caught nothing. In that story we can assume he’s tired, and frustrated; and we are told he is repairing

his nets. Along comes Jesus and asks, “Have you caught anything?” To a fisherman who’s worked all night with no results it’s the last question they want to hear! It’s rubbing salt into the wound.

After responding in the negative, Jesus tells Peter to cast his net on the other side. Peter explains the circumstances to Jesus. “We have fished all night to no avail, and caught nothing. Nevertheless, we will do as you say.”

Peter tries one more time. He puts the net out on the other side and brings in such a haul of fish that the nets are breaking, the boat starts sinking, and he has to yell out to his fellow fishing mates to give him a hand to haul it in.

God is about abundance! And secretly, we all wish for this kind of catch!

However, I’ve always wondered would the result be any different if Peter’s net had been fully mended?

Everything would be in place for that big haul, and would have there been less dramas bringing in that load of fish?

So many times in business I have seen owners unprepared for their big catch.

Sales people promise the world, and deliver little. The owners can’t keep up with the demand, burn their reputation, and lose their harvest. Not enough planning for summer has gone into it, during the winter period. Are you prepared for your harvest in summer?

Summer is also a time where great wisdom is required. For the unwise greed can kick in, and people often assume the cash flow will last forever. This can be a fatal mistake.

It’s vital to remember to store enough away for when winter comes around again. We need to be prepared for those “little” surprises.

So which season are you in with your finances?

Learning to recognise the signs, understanding where you are up to in your seasons will help prepare you for change. Just as seasons change naturally around us, understanding these signs is vitally important in growing your finances, consolidating them, and planning for new growth.

DISCLAIMER: Trading Institute is not a licensed financial planning firm. We are simply an education company, who will give you factual information. We do not give any general or specific advice around options, trading, or anything else. Please see a licensed financial planner when it comes to any investment advice you need.