3 Mindsets of a Gardener For You to Adopt in 2023
We all go into the new year with a list of goals that we've written down. Maybe we have a new gym membership, a cookbook filled with healthy meals, a new app to try budgeting again, or a list of job postings we've told ourselves we will definitely look into for that career switch we've been meaning to pursue.
As these goals to pursue our passions pile up and we feel like we're trying to change every aspect of ourselves and our daily habits, I challenge you to try one or all of these mindsets that gardeners adopt to help them pursue growth season after season.
1. There's always next season to try again
We often start the growing season with the best of intentions, plans, and preparation. We research how to best grow specific flowers: the temperature, soil conditions, where to get the best seeds, and sunlight or shade it requires. We take the necessary steps to ensure success.
Then, all of a sudden, the growing season is here, and we're putting all of our planning and preparation to the test. Sometimes, that crop grows wonderfully—it amazes us with its beauty and the ease with which it grew for us. But there are many other times that it does not go that way. We may not have provided the optimal growing conditions or may have accidentally neglected it. Then, comes the mantra I so often hear myself and gardeners everywhere saying, "Well, I'll try again next season" .
You tried your best, but it wasn't meant to be this season. It doesn't mean it's off the table forever. But at this very moment it didn't work out and instead of beating yourself up over it and how you wish the results were different, brush yourself off and know that you can try again next season.
We often pile so many goals and resolutions at the beginning of our year to then burn ourselves out: trying to eat healthier foods, get more exercise, spend more time outside, read more books, and stay off social media—all at the same time! No wonder we're exhausted!
A month or two into this new year, you may realize that some of your goals are not panning out the way you wanted them to. Instead of immediately assuming you've failed at that goal and your chance of success is over, what if you revisited that goal in a few months or even next year? Acknowledge what worked and didn't work pursuing that resolution, take notes, and then remember there's always next season to try again.
2. Patience. Beautiful things take time to grow.
This is a mindset I have to remind myself to work on daily. Growing beautiful flowers definitely does NOT happen overnight. Many varieties of flowers take months to grow and produce flowers to grace our tables. I've always been a pretty impatient person. Becoming a mom and choosing to grow flowers are the two things that have taught me patience in ways that nothing else has.
When we resolve to challenge ourselves in the new year with big, scary resolutions, we need to remember to be patient and gentle with ourselves. I'm all for making New Year resolutions or choosing a word for the year to embody—I love the fresh start of a new year: a new calendar hanging out the wall, a cute new planner, and the feelings of optimism and a fresh start.
But I challenge you to remind yourself every single day to be patient. Choosing to pursue dreams and goals takes time and perseverance. There is so much value in the hard days, the behind the scenes moments, the grit you need to hold on to to grow beautiful things in your life. I believe in you and that you can be patient and slow in pursuing your dreams every day this year—in big and small ways.
3. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.
Being a gardener means coming to terms that you will be dirty. A lot. And not just a little dirty—more like covered head to toe with a layer of dirt and sweat, dirt seemingly permanently stuck under your fingernails, and no matter how much OxiClean spray you use, the dirt has stained your clothes. Gardening is definitely not glamorous!
Pursuing your goals will take hard work and coming to terms with getting a little dirty in the process. If it was easy to reach goals and chase dreams, everyone would be doing it, right? I've thought a lot in this last year that your life is not going to look "normal" or "mainstream" if you're aggressively chasing dreams and turning them into true goals and a way of life, not just daydreams.
So, write your goals down for this year. Commit to turning daydreams that you may want to hide, into passions that you pursue. I believe God gives us all talents and passions that are gifts to use. We can use these God-given gifts to grow beauty for others around us to benefit from. It may be a dirty, hard road to pursue your goals, but it's oh so worth it.
Which one of these mindsets resonated with you the most that you feel the need to adopt this year? I would love to hear about it! Please share this blog post with a friend who you think would love to read it—thank you for your support.
