The last stage of the Cycle

In a rushed world, taking time can feel counter-intuitive.

In a rushed world, time to receive and absorb what has transpired can seem optional.

In a rushed world, it often falls to me to invite a client to pause to celebrate.

In Gestalt psychology, there is a concept called the Cycle of Experience. It maps the stages of a process: rising to consciousness, us grappling with it, the process concluding, and then… there is the last stage.

Nothing much observable happens here. It’s the time for assimilation, taking stock, glancing back. Noticing the distance travelled. Celebrating the triumphs and the learnings. It’s almost leisurely compared to the comparative rushing around of the earlier stages.

When a client sees the through the end of a metaphorical tunnel, I often catch them attempting to get started on the next. I invite them to pause, safe in the knowledge that the next tunnel will be along plenty soon.

At the end of one year, the start of the next is soon upon us. Now is the time in-between.

How has your year been?

2024 for me has been a time of many beginnings, a bunch of firsts, journeys from zero to one. From zero to one is the greatest leap. From one to two is, comparatively speaking, fairly gentle.

Today is my last zero-to-one of the year: this is my first post on Substack accompanied by an audio version.

What was your zero-to-one in 2024? See you in the next!

Not sure what comes next?

Sometimes the first step is just saying this matters.

A Nesting Call is a gentle conversation to meet you where you are — no fixing, no rushing, just deep listening and space to notice what wants to unfold.

👉 Begin here