Nothing Lasts Forever

Today’s Theme

There’s a rhythm to performance that often gets overlooked. We think of growth as a steady climb, but in reality it’s more cyclical. There are seasons of bloom and breakthrough and seasons where nothing seems to give. For coaches and athletes alike, the danger isn’t in the slumps, it’s in forgetting they’re temporary.

Just like success doesn’t last forever, neither do setbacks. The best performers learn to embrace the season they’re in, knowing that every stretch (good or bad) is preparing them for what comes next.

Every season contains a gift. Even the ones you’d rather skip.

What Cherry Blossoms Can Teach Us About Slumps

Earlier this Spring, I traveled to Washington, D.C. and one morning I walked into a coffee shop filled with pink and white flower blossoms (see below).

I paused for a moment to admire them and noticed a small sign that read “The Cherry Blossom Festival.” Intrigued, I decided to Google the event to learn more and I discovered a beautiful lesson about what these flowers represent.

Cherry blossoms are known for their beauty, but also for their brevity. They bloom in a breathtaking display for only a short time (usually just a couple of weeks or even days) before falling to the ground.

These trees aren’t even native to D.C. They were a gift from Japan in 1912, which included over 3,000 cherry trees planted as a gesture of peace and friendship. Today, they’ve become more than just a seasonal event, they’ve become a reminder of what it means to appreciate moments while they last.

In Japanese culture, the cherry blossom has long represented impermanence, the idea that all things, both beautiful and difficult, are fleeting.

It made me think: How often do we try to cling to the parts of life or performance that feel good? How often do we resist or want to rush through the ones that don’t?

But just like the blossoms, both the peak and the decline are part of the cycle. Neither one lasts forever. You’ll have moments when everything is clicking. You’ll also have times when nothing’s going your way.

Just like the blossoms, neither one lasts forever.

Why High Performers Learn to Embrace the “Seasons”

High performers understand the “seasons” within a journey and how each one is temporary.

When they’re winning, they stay humble. When they’re struggling, they stay grounded. They don’t get too high in the highs or too low in the lows.

Instead, they stay consistent in their habits and focused on what they can control. One of the few things truly in our control is our perspective.

Perspective reminds us that every stretch has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The key is not to overvalue the beginning or panic in the middle. Just keep working. Keep learning. Keep it all in perspective.

Perspective also reminds us that slumps don’t have to be equated to failure. When you’re in a season of struggle, your brain is actually doing some of its most important work.

For example, myelin formation in the brain (a key to skill acquisition) increases most when you're working through difficulty, not when you're coasting. Additionally, neuroplasticity is highest when we’re stretched beyond our comfort zones and required to adapt. Researchers have also found that people who view adversity as a temporary season (rather than a permanent state) bounce back faster and persevere longer.

All of this to say, seasons come and go. What lasts is the mindset you bring to each one.

And within each of these seasons, an essential voice to helping performers cultivate this mentality are coaches. Coaches who don’t just fixate on performance, but who also help guide an athlete’s perspective.

They help their players zoom out, stay grounded, and remember: This too shall pass.

Coaching Through the Seasons

Here’s a quick personal story from working with a Major League Baseball player who was going through a rough patch.

A few years ago, he opened the season in a brutal slump, the kind that buries your batting average so deep, it’s almost impossible to climb out statistically. It was weighing heavily on him. You could see it in his body language. His confidence was fading quickly.

So I went up to him one day and said, “Look, I’m not an analytics expert, but I did a deep dive and some research on your career. Do you know what percentage of slumps you’ve gotten out of?”

He paused for a second, then started to grin. “All of them?”

“Exactly. 100% of them. You’re batting 1.000 when it comes to breaking out of slumps. There’s no reason to believe this is the one that breaks the streak.”

That moment helped him zoom out. It gave him back perspective. Because when you’re stuck in a stretch of struggle, it often feels like it’s always been this way and it always will be. But slumps have a way of compressing your perspective. A well-timed reframe can loosen that grip.

That’s where you come in as a coach. Your job isn’t to deny the struggle, but to put it in context. One of the most powerful tools you can use is a question: “What’s this stretch or season teaching you?”

This simple question is valuable for two reasons:

1. It gives the athlete back a sense of agency.

2. It creates meaning, which builds endurance for the road still ahead.

Because once someone believes this season matters (even if it’s hard) they’re more likely to stay with it and grow through it.

Final Thoughts:

Everything you’re feeling right now, it won’t last forever. That’s good news and hard news, depending on your current season.

But no matter what’s happening, there’s value in it. There’s growth in it. There’s perspective to gain.

Like the cherry blossoms, success and struggle are both temporary. What’s permanent is who you become through it all and how your current season is preparing you for whatever season comes next.

Enjoy the impermanence.

Inspiration for This Piece:

• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

The Threshold Lab Podcast:

This week on The Threshold Lab, I sit down with former NBA Assistant Coach and front office executive, Kevin Eastman, for a conversation jam-packed with valuable lessons on coaching and how to maximize players at the highest level. I took multiple pages of notes from this one!

If you're new to the podcast, you'll also find shorter, bite-sized solo episodes throughout the week exploring mindset and performance principles. If you enjoy my conversation with Kevin (or any of my other episodes), it would mean a lot for you to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.

My hope is this show continues to expand and positively impact other coaches and leaders so your support will help immensely.

With gratitude,

ZB