In Move A Little, Lose A Lot , author James Levine suggests acquiring a plant and caring for it as a way to mirror the efforts required to make changes in our health. Like plants, our goals and intentions need to be nurtured and cared for in order to thrive and grow. Neglect them and it's not pretty.
There are many studies that extol the benefits of plants in the workplace and home. Not only can they help us be more productive but they can also reduce concentrations of toxic gases. And don't even get me started on all the possibilities for displaying their particular brand of beauty.
Today instead of heading north to fishing camp, I stayed home and planted flowers in wheelbarrows, baskets, pots, and planters. I planted from sunup to sundown stopping only for dog walks, tossing the ball to Jake, sharing my lunch with Abbey, and fielding phone calls from here to Baudette, the Walleye Capital of the World.
Last year I accompanied Bob and Brad to the famous waters in hopes of creating the optimal environment for my writing retreat. While I managed one blog post from Minnesota, I learned it's best to write where I know my supplies are.
This is mainly because I am so easily distracted. Give me a pristine cabin with nothing to do but write and I will find a hardware store, grocery store, and nursery just so I can have the place spruced up, beautified, and smelling good by the time the boys get back at five. Who has time to write when a minor makeover is clearly mandated? And who can write without a Himalayan salt lamp or Calla lily nearby?
This year Bob enticed me by choosing a place that had a pool and would take dogs, so I would not be without my canine companion/muse or a way to work out the kinks of my storyline. Still, knowing myself as I do, I realized I would write more if I opted for a "staycation" versus a vacation.
I live under this constant fantasy that if I just had more time to write, exercise, plant flowers, revamp my website, reconcile my financial statements, etc, I would. The reality is I have as much time as everyone has. How I choose to focus my energy determines if any of the above happens.
So this week I am staying put and staying focused. In order to bloom where I am planted, I needed to consult a master gardener or two. Prior to this week, I set up appointments with a doctor who practices functional medicine and booked a bamboo massage with the incredible Teisha. I also downloaded and organized all my B-school material so I can start to envision my business and revamp my website so I'll feel good and know what I'm doing by the time I head to my first Blogher conference next month.
As it turns out, staying home and staying on task requires as much strategic planning as a fishing trip. Although my men will no doubt return with fish tales of the big ones that got away, I plan to be blogging about the little stories I'm reeling in along the way.
What's on your summer schedule? What strategic plans are in the works for you? Share if you dare in the comments below.
No comments:
Post a Comment