Planting seeds
Similar to micro progress, doing things one step at a time, sometimes in life we just need to plant many seeds. Some will bear fruit and grow into beautiful flowers or trees. Others may not lead to anything. But planting seeds is important to creating the future we wish for, and envision. It’s not exactly the same thing as doing something by simply putting one foot in front of the other (or as I have previously used the phrase: swallowing the elephant one bite at a time), but it’s related.
Putting one foot in front of the other is breaking things down from a goal or larger vision you have. And then making it manageable and not overwhelming by doing it in small chunks. Facing your fears, or being excited about a dream; you have a direction, vague as it may be, and you are heading towards it. Baby steps is taking a project and working at it one bite at a time. And if things don’t seem to be working, pivoting and finding other solutions. It’s being tenacious and not giving up. Though I will write a separate piece about Grit vs Grind, and knowing when to give up.
Planting seeds is keeping an open mind and spreading little seedlings in all directions. Not being attached to what they mean or what they could potentially bear fruit to. Just being open to the various possibilities and putting out the energy, thoughts, and actions on different fronts and levels. Then watering it and nourishing it by making sure you are giving it attention, thought, and watching that space. The rest, well, it will either grow, or not.
As we look ahead to 2022 and write down some of the goals we would like to achieve, it’s useful to plant seeds and keep an open mind. Though we are focused on the three large things we want to accomplish; to put things out there that may either not be something within our immediate goals, or to keep a flexible idea of what may come. Read that book on an odd topic you would not normally do; take up dancing or singing even though you have two left feet or couldn’t sing to save your life. Meet that person for coffee even though you find their personality odd or completely the opposite of yours; who knows, you may have found your next best friend. Buy that domain name for the side hustle you always dreamed about, but thought it’s just to out there. Start writing that book that you always wanted to put to paper so you can share it with your kids and grandkids one day. Sign up for that tennis club or lesson, even though you hate sweating and lack hand eye coordination. Try that spin class even though you feel like throwing up at the end of the session. Those are seeds, those are explorations. They may open a whole new door and world to you in magical and unexpected ways. Or at a worst-case scenario, you can say you gave it a try and it simply confirmed your suspicions on that activity, book or notion.