March is that in-between time when winter is loosening its grip, but spring hasn’t quite fully arrived yet. The air smells different, the birds have started singing again, and tiny green shoots are pushing through the earth like they’ve got something to say. Nature is waking up, and in a way, so are we. This time of the year is one of my favorites because it always feels like a fresh start—an opportunity to do things differently.

I’ve noticed over the years that around the Spring Equinox, I experience major shifts in both my personal and professional life. Since aligning my world with nature rather than the capitalistic push of the New Year, I’ve stopped forcing myself to hustle through January and February. Instead, I use this time to reflect, recalibrate, and ask myself: Is the work I’m doing actually fulfilling me, or am I just going through the motions?

For so many of us, work has been framed as something we have to do—something transactional, a means to an end, a way to earn a living rather than a source of meaning. We’ve inherited an outdated story: that work should be grueling, that fulfillment isn’t the priority, that we have to sacrifice joy to be productive. Even in entrepreneurship and creative fields, we often fall into this trap, feeling obligated to market in a certain way, create content a certain way, or sell in a way that feels forced. But what if we stopped blindly accepting these expectations and started questioning: What if work felt good? What if it could nourish us, rather than deplete us?

When I spend a day in the garden, hands in the dirt, tending to the land, I end up physically exhausted—but it’s the kind of tired that feels good. I stand back, admire what I’ve done, and feel connected to something bigger. Compare that to the days when I’m drowning in mindless tasks that drain me without giving anything back. The difference? One feels like a meaningful contribution, a gift to the world around me, while the other feels like an endless to-do list that leaves me running on empty.

This month’s Field Guide is a permission slip to step out of autopilot and reimagine your relationship to work. This isn’t just about making small tweaks to your schedule; this is about fundamentally shifting how you approach what you do and why you do it. Every action you take—no matter how small—creates a ripple in the world. The way you work, the way you show up, the way you give your gifts to the world matters.

Is Your Work Fulfilling You, Or Just Keeping You Busy?

We’ve all had those days where we collapse onto the couch at night, wiped out, only to realize we don’t actually feel accomplished—we just feel drained. It’s the exhaustion that doesn’t come with satisfaction, the kind that makes you ask, What did I even do today? It’s one thing to be physically tired after a day of meaningful work, the kind where you can see the results of your effort, but it’s another to be mentally and emotionally depleted with nothing to show for it.

If you’re unsure whether your work is fueling you or just keeping you busy, ask yourself:

Does this work contribute to something greater than myself?
Do I feel a sense of excitement or deep fulfillment when I do it?
Does this work align with my values and allow me to be present?
Am I using my natural gifts and talents in a way that feels meaningful?
Do I feel more energized or completely drained after completing it?
If your answers lean toward exhaustion, disconnection, or obligation, it might be time to rethink how you engage with your work. **No one ever told us we were allowed to change our work.** But the truth is: *you can.* You can shift how you relate to it. You can shift what you do entirely if it no longer serves you. Work should not be something we endure—it should be something that nourishes both us and the world around us.

The Fear of Shifting How We Work

For many, the idea of working from a place of fulfillment and satisfaction feels like a luxury—something reserved for those who have already achieved financial security. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we can either have financial success or a life of meaning and balance, but not both. We’ve been taught that slow, intentional work comes at the cost of survival, that fulfillment is something we earn after years of grinding, not something we can have right now.

This belief is rooted in the scarcity-driven, hyper-capitalistic system we were born into—one that convinces us that work should be extractive, that success is a competition, and that slowing down is a risk rather than a necessity. This system keeps us chasing the next sale, the next client, the next opportunity—not because we want to, but because we feel we have to.

But what if success didn’t have to be tied to exhaustion? What if financial security and deep fulfillment could coexist?

Shifting how we relate to our work is an act of personal and collective revolt against the norms that have left so many of us disconnected, burnt out, and feeling trapped. It’s an opportunity to redefine what success means—not as relentless growth but as sustainability. Not as an accumulation, but as a contribution. Not as a race, but as a rhythm that supports both thriving and rest.

It’s time to stop treating work as something we suffer through and start treating it as a space where we can create, contribute, and build something that actually supports life—ours, and the world’s.

How to Shift Your Work to Feel More Soul-Nourishing

This is your invitation to step into a new way of working—one that prioritizes fulfillment, creativity, and impact.

Question Everything

Make a list of the things you feel like you have to do in your work. Marketing a certain way? Selling a certain way? Working long hours? Now ask: Do I actually want to do these things? Are they necessary, or am I just following an outdated script? Start eliminating or reworking the things that don’t align with your values.

Attach a Bigger Purpose

Why do you do what you do? If you’re an artist, your work isn’t just about making something visually appealing—it’s about storytelling, inspiring change, or making a cause visible. If you run a business, it’s not just about selling—it’s about sharing something valuable with your community. Reconnect with the why behind your work, and let that purpose shape how you show up.

Infuse Your Work with Intention

Approach your work like a garden. It’s not just about the end result; it’s about fostering growth and sustainability along the way. If you find yourself rushing through tasks to check them off a list, slow down. Be present in the process, and focus on the quality of your work rather than just the outcome.

Take a Nature-Based Approach

Let nature guide you in how you structure your work:
**Instead of...** rushing through projects, **try this:** Observe how nature moves at its own pace. Allow your work to unfold naturally, giving ideas the time they need to take root and flourish.
**Instead of...** forcing productivity even when you feel burnt out, **try this:** Follow natural cycles—build in rest periods just as winter allows for dormancy before spring renewal.
**Instead of...** striving for constant growth, **try this:** Embrace the seasons of work. Some periods are for planting, some for growing, some for harvesting, and some for rest. Trust the ebb and flow.
**Instead of...** working in isolation, **try this:** Look to nature’s ecosystems, where nothing thrives alone. Cultivate collaboration, share knowledge, and contribute to a larger collective.
**Instead of...** extracting as much as possible from your work, **try this:** Think of your work as part of a regenerative system. Just as the forest floor nourishes new life, let your work leave something meaningful behind.
**Redefine Success** – Instead of measuring success solely by output, ask: *Is my work bringing balance? Is it creating something that will last? Is it supporting my well-being and the well-being of others?* Success isn’t about constant hustle—it’s about sustainability.

March Practices & Rituals for Transforming Your Work

If you’re ready to start shifting your relationship with work, here are some tangible ways to experiment with this shift throughout the month:

Daily Reflection Ritual: At the end of each workday, take five minutes to ask yourself: Did today’s work feel nourishing or draining? Did I move with intention or just push through tasks? Jot down any insights in a journal.

Reclaim Your “Have Tos”: Make a list of everything you believe you have to do in your work. Then, go through and question each item. Ask: Is this truly necessary? Does it align with my values? See if you can remove, delegate, or reimagine tasks that don’t serve you.

Slow Work Experiment: Choose one task this month to do at half-speed. Whether it’s writing, designing, or even answering emails, approach it with complete presence. Observe how it feels to slow down and be fully immersed.

Align Your Work with Nature: Start your workday with a five-minute outdoor walk, or set up your workspace to include natural elements. Pay attention to how seasons and weather impact your energy, and adjust your workflow accordingly.

Gift Economy Offering: Experiment with offering a small part of your work as a gift—whether that’s sharing knowledge, mentoring someone, or providing a service without attachment to immediate financial gain. See how it shifts your sense of contribution.

Create a “Work as a Gift” Journal: Each week, write down one way your work positively impacts others. Seeing your work as a meaningful contribution can change how you approach it.

Field Guide Observation: Spend time outdoors observing a natural process that inspires you—maybe how water flows, how a bird builds its nest, or how plants push through the soil. Reflect on how this process can inform the way you approach your work. Journal about what you discover and brainstorm ways to bring that wisdom into your daily efforts.

This March, let’s reimagine our relationship to work. Let’s make space for more fulfillment, sustainability, and intention. Let’s turn our work into a gift—one that nourishes both us and the greater ecosystem we belong to.

What small shifts can you make this month to turn your work into a gift rather than a task?

Until next time…

Natalie Brite - DoGoodBiz Studio

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