Yesterday, I covered how we need to plant seeds so that things grow in the future. This got me thinking about how to work “seed planting” into everyday routines. That’s when the realization hit me. Most of us spend so much of our days watering and pruning our “garden” at work that we forget to keep planting the seeds and often don’t take the time to enjoy the bounty of the harvest.
The transition of one year into the next tends to be a time that we remember and celebrate what we accomplished over the last year. With the new year in front of us, we might also be thinking about seeds for the new year. Projects we want to start. Tests we want to run. Opportunities and “new” are on the horizon.
However, this is just a moment in time. The celebrations wind down with year-end. The seeds of ideas often fall to the wayside by February as everyone gets busy. Seeds are forgotten, the bounty is taken for granted and time shifts to pruning and watering – attending meetings, answering emails, and reviewing projects.
How can we work more seed planting and harvest celebration into our everyday habits all year long? I believe the key is intentionality. Below are some thoughts on both Harvest Celebration and Seed Planting.
Harvest Celebration
If you are good at holding time on your calendar, put 30 minutes on your calendar each week for harvest celebration. Protect this time. You can use the time in different ways each week, but always focus on the celebration. Below are some ideas to spark thinking on how you might celebrate:
- Notes – During this time, send thank you notes to your team for their contributions.
- Project Summary – Spend time putting together a short summary of a project that was completed this week or results of a program that just became available.
- Raise Awareness – Send the project or results summary to leadership or clients to celebrate the accomplishment with them.
- Host an Event – Have a gathering with those who contributed to celebrate together live.
I realize not everyone works on a team and some of the ideas above might not be relevant. However, independent workers and solo-preneurs, and artists also need time to celebrate. Note accomplishments for the week and focus the time on seeing the beauty in what you produced – not the flaws.
Seed Planting
Seed planting is a bit more difficult than harvest celebrations. You not only need to find the time to focus, but you also need to determine what seeds need to be discovered and planted. Below are some ideas to consider working into your routines.
- Plan the Seeds – Each month, spend just 30 minutes thinking about the seeds you want to plant. Are you looking to expose potential clients to a new offering? Do you want to try a new approach on a project? Do you want to learn a new skill?
- Plant a Seed Each Day – Set an intention to plant a seed each day. This could be seeding an idea in the mind of a team member or client or scheduling a phone call with a connection from your past to communicate something you think they might be interested in. The term “plant a seed” is used often, but there appears to be less intentional planning around the concept.
- “Shop” for Seeds – Sometimes you don’t have seeds to plant. You want to provide new thinking on a project, learn a new skill, or shift the process of how the work is done. Proactively set aside time to wander and explore. There are so many opportunities out there, give yourself the space to discover the ones that are perfect for you.
Care and Nurturing
When projects are official, the care and nurturing happen automatically. Meetings, emails, and reviews keep the team on track and work moving forward. Intentional care needs to happen with projects not driven by the group. The new skill you want to learn, the idea you want to sell in, or the project funding you want to acquire.
For the projects that are new, and you are the champion, take care to intentionally plan from seeds to harvest. Without focus, the most innovative and creative projects are the ones that are always overrun by the day to day “schedule” of the mainstream.
Your Turn
Today, think about your current projects.
Do you have a healthy mix of seed planting, nurturing, and bounty celebration?
What might be missing?
How could you shift habits and routines to get the balance that is right for you?