Photo by JR Harris on Unsplash
About a month ago, my husband and I attended a lecture by Doug Tallamy, entomologist (insects), on how we are losing insects and birds in the U.S. because there aren’t enough native plants left to feed them. Birds and insects are pollinators which are an essential part of the human food chain.
Our parks and wildlife reserves aren’t enough. He is encouraging people to set aside part of their lawn for native plants. This project is called “Homegrown National Park,” and you can read more about it here.
Since my husband is an arborist and we both have a keen interest in trees and plants, we thought we would contribute to Doug’s idea of planting more native plants to nurture the native insects and birds. To do this then you have to get rid of the lawn grass. Then you spread a pile of leaves on the area. Then you can either plant seeds or seedlings. Then you have to water, weed, and wait a few years before it looks half-way descent.
My point is first of all, I want everyone to know about this need for planting more native plants because it’s so important. But secondly, as you can see, a lot of work goes into just preparing the soil, or groundwork for growth. And it’s the same for growing a business.
Many people think they can start a business and it will blossom with little work, but we know that’s not the case. It takes a lot of hard work. There are a lot of steps involved. Things come up that you didn’t know you had to deal with. There’s a lot of problem-solving and trouble-shooting. Results can be sporadic.
Planting any kind of garden takes a lot of work. So why were my husband and I willing to do it?
Well, of course we wanted the result. But also, we knew that with any project, if you make it fun and interesting, it doesn’t feel like hard work.
I work almost every day at my business, and many things that I do are hard—but I’m in charge of my mindset. And so, what I do doesn’t feel hard.
My business is fun. I look forward every day to sharing my knowledge with others who need it. It gives me joy to know that I’m saving coaches time by sharing resources, tools and tips, so they don’t have to look so hard to find them. I love running a business and I hope you do too.
Remember – it’s a mindset and you’re in charge of it. I hope this inspires you to keep going with your coaching business, in spite of the pitfalls. More and more people need coaching and you have a great gift to give the world! And while you’re at it, plant some native plants!
