One of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age is that we’ve lost our sense of seasons. Unlike the farmer whose priorities change with the seasons, we have become impervious to the natural rhythm of life—and we have our priorities out of balance as a result.

For a farmer, springtime is his most active time. It’s then when he must work around the clock, up before the sun and still toiling at the stroke of midnight. He must keep his equipment running at full capacity because he has but a small window of time for the planting of his crop. When winter comes, there is less for him to do to keep him busy.

There is a lesson here: Learn to use the seasons of life.

Decide when to pour it on and when to ease back, when to take advantage and when to let things ride. It’s easy to keep going from 9-5 year in and year out and lose a natural sense of priorities and cycles. Don’t let one year blend into another in a seemingly endless parade of tasks and responsibilities.

Keep your eye on your own seasons, lest you lose sight of value and substance.