Cultivate your career

As a seasoned gardener, I can honestly say that my garden of 30 years has changed. It somewhat resembles the dreams of the wanna be farmer, live off the earth and organic mama that first planned it over 30 years ago. But over the years there is less lawn to mow, fewer organized beds to plant and more places to sit and have a glass of wine at the end of day.

My career has taken a similar journey. The energy and passion that had me on track for teacher of the year, had me teaching over 60 kids at one time in my music career. We built a private studio onto the house to accomodate the instruments, books, and students bursting out of my living room. Chairing major committees in the region and state organizations, developing new curriculum, composing, recording and teaching were quickly expanding into more than a 40 hour week. 

When I turned 60, I found myself, scaling down the garden and my career. Something a bit more manageable and with enough time to reconnect with my creative side. In other words, how to work smarter, not harder. Garden beds became smaller. How many beans can one person eat? Grass was consuming water and labor, but other than an aching back, it was offering little in return. And working a 60 hour week, there was little energy left to do much more than wonder why weeds grew without fertilizing but tomatoes just sat there. 

As I began to reconstruct the garden to be more manageable, I found the same principles worked to reconstruct my career. I decided I would much rather be buried in my garden, than in my piano. Here are a few gardening lessons for your career.

1) Build a better plan. What do I truly love to eat and only plant what I can eat. The same is true for my career. Changing direction that included a less intense, stressful work schedule. Working smarter, not harder. Scaling down the work load and learning to say no. Success in the garden means work with the seasons, not against them. Embrace the unexpected and learn to go with the flow.

Mantra: I can not be all things to all people

2) Make the most of your resources. Instead of pulling weeds, I laid down newspapers, feed sacks, worn out tarps, anything that would smother the weeds. I created paths rather than more beds. Chickens scratched and turned the soil and provided eggs for breakfast. By engaging co-workers, build on your experience. Use your strengths and stop obsessing over what doesn't work. Let them take the lead and move into consulting and mentoring, saving both your job and resources.

Mantra: If the map doesn't fit the ground, the map is wrong.

3) Use expert advice. My raspberries look beautiful and then suddenly wilt and die. I call the Master Gardeners or Extension service to find a reason and a solution. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees and need someone to point the way. Developing networks is essential in keeping on track with your career. Working the network can bring new ideas, attitudes and knowledge to the job.

Mantra: Work smarter, not harder.

4) Take a vacation. In my garden, I designed rooms. Places to stop and take a mini vacation, admire the garden, have a glass of wine or read a book. The smells and beauty of the garden are more important now, than how many tomatoes are on the vine.

Take time to join up with friends for dinner, catch a movie, or see a play. All of these open times in our lives that cultivate energy and a sense of peace about our life. Without them we find the only time we take off from work is when we are sick. 

Mantra: Stop and smell the roses.

Be grateful I didn't use my other favorite past time, baseball. Three strikes you're out, would mean I am sitting on the bench. I have made more mistakes than successes in my gardening and work career. But as I look ahead, it seems prudent to find ways to cultivate a productive retirement so that I might enjoy more time in the garden.