Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the aligned achiever podcast. I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, your career coach, leadership guide, and founder of the Pivot Pathfinders Collective.

So today we’re diving into a seasonal theme that feels so alive right now.

So at the time that this is going live, we are coming into the Easter time of year, which for me, because I’m in Hong Kong, which is the northern hemisphere, is all about spring. 

And so today we’re going to be talking about the spring reset, and how to align with your season of growth, whether or not you’re in spring or not, still stick along with me, because this idea of seasons is really the theme that I want to explore. 

Because let me tell you, if there’s one core concept that I share with clients that really resonates the most, it is this theme of seasons and the permission that can come with forming your goals, getting clear on how you want to show up, what your priorities are, when you’re really clear on what season that you’re in. 

So spring is that time when nature begins to wake up. The flowers are blooming, the days are getting longer, and there’s an energy of newness in the air. And if you’re in the southern hemisphere, then you’re coming into autumn, you know that’s when things are slowing down a little bit. The days are getting a bit shorter. There’s a bit of an introspection feeling happening, and the leaves are turning orange brown, and there is that change of season. 

And whilst the world encourages us to leap forward with big action and to always be in the perennial summer season, right, that’s always the fun time where you’re out, you’re enjoying those long days, and it’s kind of a bit more frivolous and a bit more fun, I invite you to actually pause and reflect what season you are in before you rush into doing because the real growth, the kind that sticks and the kind that really feels good and feels fulfilling, that starts with alignment, and that all begins within and that’s exactly what today’s episode is about. 

So why is spring the perfect time for a reset, or arguably, any kind of end of quarter?

That’s how I like to plan my year. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a huge stationery and planner lover. I love my paper stationary, I love my paper calendars, and I like to use my pens and paper to plan and work with my digital calendar to get things done. But, you know, for many of us, I think we don’t often check in with those goals and intentions that we had at the start of the year. And so as we’re coming into the Easter season, as we’re coming into April, regardless of where you are in the world, it’s a really great time to just reflect on, okay, what happened the past 90 days? 

You know, what worked, what didn’t. And just to objectively look at, you know, were those goals realistic? Are they really the right goals for you? And to, you know, if you didn’t get everything done, not beat yourself up, but get curious with why and why not, and to move forward with a revised game plan. So many of us didn’t exactly kick off the year with that fresh start energy. Maybe you felt foggy or slow. I know for us, we started with a lot of sickness in our household, so it felt like a slower start. And in Hong Kong, we’ve got Chinese New Year at the end of January. 

So it sometimes feels like the year takes a little while to kick into gear, or maybe your intentions got buried under the weight of everyday life, and that’s okay, because as we’re turning the wheel right now, it’s a real energetic New Year.

For those of you who follow astrology, like it’s also the astrological new year. We’re a bit off. It’s been a few weeks now, but you know, it is the real energetic New Year and in nature, nothing blooms all year long, right? Nothing is always like perfect and beautiful, and we’re no different as humans, right?

So as we’re stepping into this new season, and we’re yes, wanting to build momentum, I really want you to think about how you can get into momentum, move forward with the right goals that you want, but not in that hustly, burnt out kind of way that is the antithesis of what I take a stand for.

I’m really wanting you to be able to step forward into more intentional growth. 

And so today we’re going to talk about how you can start to reconnect back into your values, your energy and direction and check in with what’s actually ready to come into your career and your leadership. And you know Self Mastery begins with knowing your inner season.

So here are three questions that you can use to guide your spring reset or quarterly reset, whatever it is that you’d like to to do. And to use as your base, and use these questions to really check in with your own inner rhythm. 

So here are the three journal questions that I personally love to use and that I invite you to explore this week. And I’ll summarise these over at the show notes, over at siobhanbarnes.com/128, if you’d like to come back to these questions. But if you’re listening to this and you’re driving or you’re on a walk, feel free to pause after the question and have a little think about your answer.

Okay, first question, what feels ready to bloom in your life or your leadership?

What feels ready to bloom in your life, or leadership. Maybe it’s a conversation that you’re ready to have. Maybe it’s a project you want to pitch, or simply showing up more fully in your role with your true voice. What feels ready to bloom in your life or leadership?

For me, I’m happy to share we’re moving into the spring season. I have a quarter to get work done before I take three weeks off with the kids over the summer. My husband and I love to do a three week summer holiday where we take the kids somewhere for an adventure. And that’s no different. This year we’re going to go to Portugal, which I’m super excited about.

And I’ve got a bunch of things that I want to get done before I go. So what feels ready to bloom in my life and leadership is to continue to grow the Pivot Pathfinders Collective, it’s been such a joy to journey with the original members. And by the way, if you would like to join us, pop on over to the show notes over at siobhanbarnes.com/128, for all the details, I would love to invite you into our next cohort, and that is what I’m really ready to bloom and blossom that project so that it can grow, so that it can continue to support many other professional women in navigating their next step.

So what is it for you? What feels ready to bloom in your life or leadership?

Question number two, what needs to be cleared or composted to make space for that growth?

What needs to be cleared or composted to make space for that growth?

So for me, I need to clear and compost some old offerings that do not serve me and to quite drastically reduce my one on one clients, and focus on a certain quota and a certain capacity so that I’m able to really create space to allow the Pivot Pathfinders program to blossom and to grow. So that’s what I’m clearing. That’s what I’m composting.

It could be an outdated belief, a people pleasing habit, or fear of being scenes, there could be an inner peace to this. So for me, I know that I need to clear this. I know I still have this belief that I’m working on, that I have to work really hard to be successful. It’s a constant one that I’m working on. I’m a lot better at it now, but that’s something that I’m composting to make space for that growth.

Third question, what does alignment and aligned momentum look like for you right now?

What does aligned momentum look like for you right now? Not what should you be doing, but what feels sustainable, nourishing and true in this season of your life?

So for me, aligned momentum looks like me taking a break. So at the time of recording, this is Easter holidays. I’ve got my brother staying with me. He’s visiting from London with his wife and his two kids. So it’s been wonderful to spend some time with him. And you know, my sister in law and my niece and nephew, and then I will be as this goes live in Australia, spending time with my husband’s side of the family and visiting Australian friends, etc. So that’s going to feel really, really good.

And so if I’m thinking about what momentum looks like for me right now, it’s actually leaning deep into rest, restoration, clearing things before I fly, making sure that I’ve got things done, so that I can really be present and truly rest and not feel like I have to work whilst I’m on holiday. And so my intention is that I do that so that I can come back ready and raring to go and to make the most of the nine or 10 weeks I have before the kids are off for school, and it’s the summer holidays, so aligned momentum looks like that for me right now.

And obviously I have specific projects, etc, but I won’t bore you with all those details, but that’s the grand bigger picture. And for me, I am a working mother. I have three children, so when I think about my work and I think about my seasons, I’m very much looking at my children and their ages, and you know what, what those big priorities are for me?

The other day, I was at the beach with my my sister in law, and my brother and the two kids, and they relocated from Hong Kong to London five years ago, and we were talking about how that was such a different time. You know, that was COVID, but also the kids are all at a different age now, and how different our experience of Hong Kong and doing the sites we did, Ocean Park, the water, Bay Beach, two football clubs, like we did, all these lovely things, and how different it is when the kids of this age and so again, that just reminds me of just how important this season is.

The next time they come back to visit, who knows when that will be? The kids will be older. You know, I’ve got one teenager now, maybe I’ll have two, maybe I’ll have three, and what their interests are going to be vastly different.

So being really clear on what this season is about for you is really, really important, and really it helps you stay present right and enjoying what’s here right now.

So I want you to take your time with those questions. You can journal on them. You can bring them into a meditation and just let your inner wisdom and your body speak, not just your mind.

So to recap, those three question, what feels ready to bloom in your life or leadership? Number two, what needs to be cleared or composted to make space for that growth. And thirdly, what does aligned momentum look like for you right now?

Again, I’ll pop a copy of those in the show notes over at siobhanbarnes.com/128, if you want to take your time at that.

Okay, so often when people think about changing their season and, you know, aligning and spring reset, this idea of a pivot does come into play. And a pivot is something that can make you think you have to do something completely drastic, something that’s like a 180.

Maybe that means quitting your job or making a huge leap or changing direction. But the truth is, a pivot is more often than not subtle. It can look like setting a boundary. It can look like recommitting to what matters. It can look like realigning how you show up where you already are. That’s what I call a purposeful pivot, one that honours your capacity, your desires and your season.

I’ve had clients who use this spring energy not to blow things up, but rather to tune in and to come back to their career with fresh clarity, or starting to lay the foundation for a new path slowly and intentionally.

Your pivot doesn’t have to be loud, but it should be yours.

And the other thing I’ll say is that oftentimes it takes time to percolate. It’s slow and steady. It’s letting yourself hear those quiet moments, to hear that inner voice and connect the dots that allows you to navigate that pivot. And that’s exactly what we do in the Pivot Pathfinders Collective.

I had my seed launch back in November, and participants are now mapping out what that pivot looks like. They’re testing different options. They are getting clarity on, oh, actually, this is what is purpose for me., this is what feels meaningful, and this is why. And it’s so interesting, because some of those original ideas that you know, they had thought about maybe two, three years ago are finally circling back, the groundwork has been laid. It’s like, okay, permission granted to slowly start to actually allow some time and space to nurture that and to water these seeds. And it’s just so cool to witness.

So in today’s episode, I hope it has you feeling like, Yes, this is my time to pause and realign. And if you’re like, Oh, I know I want to pivot, and I want to do it from this place of inner alignment, personal mastery, personal strategy, not doing it by the book and what somebody else has told me to do, then come and join us in the Pivot Pathfinders Collective.

It’s my signature 12 month experience for professional women who want to make meaningful career and leadership shifts towards like, more fulfillment, more purpose. Feeling like, yes, I’ve got this. This is what I want, feeling really intentional with the life and career that you’re building, and really looking at you, not just as the professional, but really you the real you. I want you at the helm. You in the driving seat.

So in the program, we walk the path of self mastery together so that you can lead and live in a way that actually feels like you. So whether you’re pivoting within your organisation, we’ve got, I’ve created, I think I have eight different pathways that I’ve mapped out and created specific curriculum and specific testing protocols for each like whether you’re pivoting within your current organization or you want to try something new. All of that is in the program. It’s very structured, but there’s also a lot of space on the live Q and A calls to get support and get your questions answered.

And the very first step where we start is coming back to yourself, getting really clear on who you are, what you really want, and then crafting a life and career towards that. And I know that can seem really scary, and we think we have to sort of make a big shift, but let me tell you, sometimes the shift isn’t as big as you think, and sometimes it is, and you realize. My gosh, I’ve got so much support to make it happen.

And just know that I’m never here to push you into something that doesn’t feel right and true for you. Rather, in this program I’ve just created a beautiful curriculum for you to hear your own voice, figure out which direction you want to go in, and to really carve a path to get there. And that’s exactly what the collective is here to support. And you know, my bigger mission, my bigger why, is to support more and more women to step into life and careers that feel true for them. Because I believe that the more that we do, the more we create a positive change and impact in the world.

And when I work with my clients, I say it time and time again, like you are exactly the leader that we need. Your style of leadership, your empathy, your compassion, your strategy, your your ability to see things. It’s so valued, and I want to see more women like you lead, which is why I created the program and why I created it as a collective, so that we can all be inspired together, supported together, and move forward together.

So you can find more out in the show notes. I’ll pop a link to in the show notes over at siobhanbarnes.com/128, and if that’s not right for you, that’s all good. Use these questions to help with your spring reset or your quarter reset. What’s ready to bloom, what needs to be cleared, what does aligned momentum look like for you? Let those questions guide you this week.

And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, and if you’ve loved please, please subscribe. Leave a review, share it with somebody in your life who’s ready to reclaim her rhythm and rise in her next chapter.

And if you do sit with those questions and you want to share them with me, please do DM me on Instagram or DM me on LinkedIn, or reply to the newsletter if you are on the list. I’d love to hear what’s coming up for you.

Until next time, just keep honouring your pace, your power, your path. You have absolutely got this. You are here for a reason beyond merely hustling, grinding and merely surviving, you matter.