Digging in the Dirt, Digging Into Decision Making: Thoughts From Red Sunflower Farm

Curious Questions from Observing the Everyday

One of my favorite ways to spend a quiet morning is in my front garden. With my hands deep in the soil, I listen to the birds and feel the breeze — it connects me back to what’s really important: my inner-self and the greater spirit of life.

I spend the time pulling out what no longer serves me, which makes room for new additions.

I could easily hire somebody to do this for me. Quite frankly, many are surprised, based on my level of income, that I don’t outsource this work. But I’d miss it. It grounds me. It fills me up and puts me in connection with our greater world.

As I sit, hands deep in the earth, I can’t help but draw the comparisons between my time in the front yard and my experiences as a business owner.

The simple and quiet act of weeding out the no longer needed and making space for what truly nourishes is much like the business owner’s journey. Decisions, initiatives, and priorities serve their purpose for a while, but eventually need to be removed, making room for new ideas. A business, like a garden, is a living, breathing thing. A business, like a garden, experiences change, both cyclically, but also over the course of its lifespan.

We business owners are faced with making tough choices over and over again. Sometimes this means letting go of unprofitable product lines, severing ties with inefficient suppliers, or even making gut wrenching staffing decisions. Much like uprooting a plant, these decisions aren’t always easy. And for well-established plants, it can be downright physically taxing. Yet, doing so is a vital act to ensure that your business’s garden thrives.

How do we make these decisions? By listening to the birds, feeling the breeze, and ensuring we’re wholly present while we work. As an owner, are you attuned to the nuances of the market? Do you understand the health and vitality of your business by gathering feedback from customers, staying on top of industry trends, or exploring innovative and new technologies designed to improve efficiency?

And are you grounded enough to make decisions from a place of intention rather than a place of reactivity? Business ownership can feel chaotic. It’s easy to get swept up in the daily grind. But finding a practice that allows you to return to your purpose brings clarity to those tough decisions we’re all forced to make.

And making decisions with our intentions at the forefront preserves our ability to build businesses that are not just successful, but fulfilling and impactful, too.

I’ll leave you with these curious questions:

What regular practice can bring you peace, allowing you to place your intentions front and center?

What no longer serves its purpose in your business? By removing those things, what have you made room for?

When you really pause and listen — stepping outside of the daily operations of your business — what clarity do you gain?