Focus like a gardener. Pull them weeds!

In recent conversations with fellow business owners and clients, there’s a recurring theme around growing a business. There’s always a lot to do, we’re all working hard, it’s easy to get distracted, we’re all battling overwhelm or some other mental vortex. Yeah. I guess all the usual.

It’s springtime, and as a gardener I can’t help myself; here come the plant metaphors...

Today, let’s talk about the weeds in your life

It’s Sisyphean in nature, but those weeds in the garden and in life just keep coming back. They make babies, in fact. And they’re liable to outcompete the other things you actually care about. Time to get your gloves and pull some of them suckers out. But how? When? Who has time for this? I hear all those responses, and have a few thoughts.

Normalize weeding as routine

Do you have a moment, even if it’s once a year for 15 minutes, to sit back and reflect about what’s working and what’s not working?

I do this from time to time, and I’m always impressed when I meet someone who does this as well. It’s kind of like the ultimate boss move to be proactive and thoughtful about your business. There’s almost no wrong way to do this, except not to do it at all.

Been a while? Try weeding just a teeny, tiny bit. Then stop and step back.

This is a great technique if you’re struggling with overwhelm. Start by identifying just one or two things that need to go. Keep it simple and easy. Weed those one or two things out, and only those things. Congratulate the heck out of yourself, and then take a step back and look at life again. Breathe.

One of my clients simply needed to stop going to one networking group that wasn’t working for her. When she talked about it out loud, it suddenly seemed so obvious. Not only did she recover precious time and energy, but more importantly it was an act that refocused her mind on her true top priorities (more effective lead generation, in her case). In other words, weeding isn't just a chore—it's a tool.

Try scorching the earth?

One business owner I talked to was deeply frustrated with a marketing tech provider he’d been using. When I asked why he was still using it, he said he simply didn’t have a backup plan in place. It’s a completely relatable situation. I don’t know about you, but the idea of migrating over to a new solution makes me want to crawl back into bed. But... maybe it’s what you actually need to do. Every now and then, you need to go unapologetically nuclear on that part of the yard that the weeds have completely taken over. (Or maybe hire someone to do it for you!)

It's not too simple to refocus on what matters most. It is essential.

What’s really going to move the dial? What needs to get more sunlight, water, and fertilizer? Your efforts toward growth and transformation will always be diluted if you don’t pull those weeds.

Consider this your call to action to take five minutes right now and see if you can find one thing that needs to go.

Go on. Put a timer on your phone for five minutes. I’ll wait...