Transition: What We Can Learn From Trees

Life transitions can feel like navigating a foggy, unfamiliar path. You’re moving forward, but the destination remains unclear. These moments, often called “liminal spaces,” the “in between,” “neutral zones,” or even “chaos”, can be disorienting because they challenge our usual measures of progress. But just as in nature, some of the most critical growth happens in the quiet, unseen seasons.

Consider the trees outside your window. In winter, their branches stand bare and still against the cold wind. To the untrained eye, they appear dormant, lifeless, even stagnant. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Winter: A Season of Hidden Growth

Winter is still a time of significant activity for trees—just not in the way we typically notice. Beneath the surface, their root systems are hard at work:

First, while slower than in warmer months, roots continue to grow in winter, extending deeper into the soil or outward to access moisture and nutrients.

Second, even in the cold, trees absorb water from the soil, ensuring their survival and sustaining their internal processes.

Third, trees start preparing for spring. They store energy and nutrients in their roots and trunks during winter, building reserves for the burst of growth that spring will demand.

This unseen activity allows trees to thrive when the conditions are right, reminding us that growth doesn’t have to be visible to be meaningful.

Transitions in life are much the same. When we’re in the midst of change—whether it’s a move, a new career, or a shift in identity—it can feel like we’re standing still. Productivity, as we’ve been conditioned to define it, seems to vanish. But this neutral zone isn’t a time of stagnation; it’s a period of internal reorganization and preparation. You’re building something new, but it’s happening beneath the surface, where others—and even you—may not yet see it.

Breaking Free From the “Always Summer” Mindset

In our fast-paced, achievement-oriented culture, we’re taught to live in a perpetual summer. We’re expected to always produce, achieve, and bloom. But this mindset leaves little room for the winter seasons of life—those quiet times of reflection, rest, and preparation.

When you cling to the old ways of being—the routines, identities, or expectations that no longer serve you—you risk feeling stuck. It’s like trying to keep leaves on a tree long after their time has passed. Transition requires release. It demands that you let go of the old to make space for something new.

The Neutral Zone: A Time for Play and Possibility

As you journey through your own “winter,” you may find it uncomfortable. Life transitions often involve entering a neutral zone—a period when the old way of being no longer fits, but the new has yet to take shape. This can be an uncomfortable, messy space because it challenges our deeply ingrained belief that productivity must always be outwardly visible.

But this liminal space is also where the magic happens.

Just as trees store energy and expand their roots during winter, you have the invitation to do the inner work that will sustain your future growth. This might look like pausing to reflect, playing with new possibilities, or pondering what truly matters to you. You have the opportunity of absorbing new insights, recalibrating your priorities, and storing the energy you’ll need for the next chapter of your life.

When you embrace this space instead of rushing through it or trying to escape from it, you open yourself to transformations you couldn’t predict based on your past season of life.

You are preparing for spring, even if you can’t yet see the buds forming.

Lessons From the Trees

Take a moment to reflect on the trees. In winter, they aren’t producing flowers or growing leaves. They appear to be doing nothing—but beneath the surface, they are anchoring themselves, storing energy, and preparing for the next season of growth. Their roots are digging deep, ensuring that when spring comes, they’ll be ready to bloom again.

Trees show us that growth isn’t always obvious. While they seem bare and lifeless in winter, their roots are strengthening and preparing for the vibrant blossoms and leaves to come. Similarly, your seasons of transition are far from stagnant. They’re times of unseen progress, where you’re anchoring yourself and gathering the resources needed for the next stage of life.

So, the next time you find yourself in a period of waiting or uncertainty, think of the trees. Even in the stillness of winter, they are growing, preparing, and quietly becoming. And so are you.