We can quietly enjoy what is there. We can water it from time to time and continue that cycle for an indeterminate amount of time. But even the status quo is always going to require minimal and constant action.
If you are like me and suddenly get excited about something: a little tomato plant, planting some aromatic herb or maybe some lettuce or chard, you will see how every project requires constant actions. We not only have to sow, which is what we do out of enthusiasm and excitement, but we also have to maintain the necessary watering and care.
Starting a new project
The point is that once we start this new project, we will have to take on the commitment for an indeterminate period of time. It will then be a matter of having more plants to look after. They may need to be pruned, or tended. They may start to require additional fertiliser or soil, and in many cases even spraying – even with natural products.
Any new project is going to require time, resources and a level of commitment on our part.
Some time ago my wife gave me a course on urban horticulture. The content was entertaining and at the end we were each given some tomato sprouts to take home and start growing.
The initial enthusiasm made me prepare some good containers and transplant the seedlings with the utmost care – like many projects in their early days there was a lot of interest and dedication. We had a Whatsapp group where we exchanged photos of the seedlings and thanks to that community the interest stayed alive for a while longer and seeing that others were making progress motivated me to keep going.
For the first time I had fully grown tomato plants, about 1.70m high. Everything was going smoothly until the workload increased a little and I slacked off for a week. In just one week, the plants died down almost to the point of collapse. Depending on what we are planting, daily care can be essential.
Application in working life
It is the same in our working life. There are projects that we have to follow every day. There are others that we can ask about once a week and those that we will see once a month.
If we are fortunate enough to supervise staff, it may be the same. We may have resources that require closer monitoring and more care, while others will develop on their own and welcome that freedom.
What it comes down to in the end is to be clear that every project or resource requires constant care in order to develop in the best way. When planning something new, let’s make sure we know what commitment we are making and adjust our routines to give it the level of attention it needs.
Because sometimes months of constant work can be undone by neglect, while proper care will bear fruit in abundance.
