Watering the plants

A stimulating conversation today: watering the plants of our life.

We sat and imagined the garden of all the things we want to grow. Then we thought about all those plants and flowers. How do we water the important plants for us?

If we chose to grow 500 plants - and these could be tasks we chose to do, they could be the connections we want to cultivate - that's wonderful. But what about when that garden grows to 1000 plants or 10,000? And when we want to hit the road or try something new, how do we ensure those plants are watered?

Do we hire a person? Do we create a tool?

Pretty soon, we've got a tractor to do all the work for us. A tractor does a great amount of work, but it's not very sensitive to the ground. How do we remain sensitive to the ground?

And a tractor needs a shed, and the shed needs maintenance, and...

I thought about the tasks I choose to do as a company director. I wondered - should I be emailing the customers and clients directly? Is that a section of the garden I can give to someone else, like most companies do?

I asked this question of the group and a suggestion was - why not give other sections instead? Such as the website maintenance (boring) or the legislation (extra boring) - the things that take me away from the work I love to do?

I'm glad, and secretly relieved, because business management aside, there's nothing quite like lying on the ground with one ear against the ground, listening to what the soil says, what needs nurturing - then tending to those plants first.

(Thanks Scarlet, Tim and the others for this great conversation)