<p>I’ve discovered that mowing your lawn can tell you a lot about how you run your life and your business.</p>
<p>This is how I mow my lawn; some lines are straight, some curved, some random and spontaneous. But look –at least I <em>do</em> it. I get it done, and it’s mostly right.</p>
<p>My thinking flows while I’m mowing the lawn. It allows my hands to be occupied and gives me some exercise while my thoughts roam free. It’s almost as good as walking for thinking. The difference is that I have to make decisions while I’m mowing. You see, my lawn is sloped and there’s a fence at the bottom. It’s difficult to push the mower forward there because of a steep grade. So instead, I approach the fence at a 90 degree angle. And at the top and along the side, there’s a curved planting bed and a large Rhododendron which need to be mowed around and under. These challenges are somewhat the impetus for my creative mowing patterns, though may be not. Maybe it’s the other way around – perhaps the progress of my thoughts impacts the pattern on the lawn. I’m not sure. </p>
<p>What I do know is that I’m a creative type. Actually, I’m ambidextrous; able to eat, play golf and throw a Frisbee with both hands which means that I’m not purely right brained, but have a hand – as it were – in both the analytical and the intuitive world. It sets up an interesting dynamic in which I am able to be conventional in some ways yet pulled to be very erratic and unique in other ways. Bottom line, I want an interesting life, so as far as mowing goes - running straight lines over grass bores me and motivates the changing directions. At this point I can see my 10 year old rolling his eyes, “just because you think a certain way doesn’t mean everybody else thinks that, mom!”</p>
<p>I’m just not wired for straight and steady.</p>
<p>At my point in life – I’m not afraid to say it – middle aged, I recognize that stepping outside the main stream of life and doing things a little differently can lead to new ideas and actions that the straight and narrow set may see as risky and impulsive. It shows up in my business process. It’s taken me several months to settle on my target market, and even to decide what my products and services are. After meandering around several different possibilities, I’ve come full circle and am back with the original idea, but with a clearer vision about what I’m doing, what my core values are, and who my ideal clients are. The path was definitely not a straight one, but for me it was necessary to explore the possibilities before I could be certain that I had chosen the right path. Now my task is to stay focused and follow the pattern and plan I’ve laid out for myself.</p>
<p> And maybe, just maybe, my risky out of the box path will pay off. At least, my lawn looks good.</p>
2009-07-11T04:17:04Z
2009-07-14T15:54:13Z
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mowing-your-lawn-can-tell-you-a-lot-about-your-life-and-your-business
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2009-07-14T08:53:19Z
2009-07-14T15:54:13Z
This is how I mow my lawn; some lines are straight, some curved, some random and spontaneous. But look –at least I do it.
Mowing your lawn can tell you a lot about your life and your business
1
2009-07-14T15:54:13Z