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Smart Women Are Great Gardeners
Written by: Joy ChudacoffArticle Overview: This article communicates the similarities between growing a garden and growing a new Big Idea dream or goal. They each take planning, patience and time to cultivate and grow. It’s important early on to give your Big Idea, dream or goal a lot of thought. Decide on all of the steps, make a plan to really make it happen—grow your Big Idea. Often times, we “Plant the seed” for our dreams and goals and then we become frustrated when they do not grow as we had hoped. We need to reflect on how we cared for our “new garden.” Did we nurture it? New ideas and plans take lots of care.
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Smart Women Are Great Gardeners
As I was unpacking a box in our new house the other day, I found a beautiful drawing that my son Jack had done when he was in Kindergarten last year, in the spring. It’s 4 pieces of paper layered together with drawings and these 4 words: seed, roots, stem, flower. There is a lot of sunshine and rain above to illustrate how growing something meaningful needs both. When Jack saw it, he immediately began to explain to his younger sister Jenna how this works. “You plant a seed, give it water, then a root grows, then a stem and then you have a flower one day.” Wow, if only it were that simple!
Realizing a big idea, dream, or goal is a lot like planting a seed in your garden. The first step is to decide which seed (idea) you want to plant. There are so many choices. Which one seems to be the perfect fit for you right now in your life? After you decide what seed you want to plant, you need to learn about that seed and how it needs to be cared for to get the best results. When you have a big idea or goal, you need to find out everything you need to make it successful so that you can realize a meaningful outcome. Now you need to plant the seed. For example, if it’s a business idea, you need to take all the necessary steps to start a business. Next you need to make sure the seed gets enough water and sunshine so that it will form good roots. This can be challenging for some of us. In this example, I’m talking about starting a business. We come up with a winning idea; we give it a name, print business cards, tell a few people we are in business, and wonder why the phone isn’t ringing off the hook with customers? Remember the water and sunshine? In the business example, you need to have a solid marketing plan for your business that includes plenty of networking and support. This is how a business develops “roots” in a community.
If you continue to nurture your seed (idea), over time, it will develop very strong roots and a stem. Eventually, you will see your seed turn into a beautiful flower that others will admire and want to gaze at. In my earlier example, your business will develop a presence in your community and people will want to use and recommend your service. The key in growing anything—a beautiful flower garden or a business idea, is nurturing during the early phase.
After 18 years as an entrepreneur, this cycle has proven true time after time. When my business was in a slow-growth mode, it was because I had gotten away from caring and nurturing my idea. When I provided the proper nurturing (spending sufficient time and attention supplying “sunshine and water”), my business soared. Women are great gardeners because we are nurturers by nature. It’s not about luck. You just have to stay true to your “big idea”, giving it the time and attention it deserves.
I love this piece of artwork that my son Jack made. It will surely stay firmly planted at my desk, as it is a quick reminder of where I am in the growing process.
Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
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Article Tags: beautiful flower, big idea, business example, business idea, choices, drawing, drawings, hook, kindergarten, marketing plan, necessary steps, networking, perfect fit, plant a seed, print business cards, roots, seed idea, sister jenna, steps to start a business, sunshine and rain
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About the Author: Joy Chudacoff RSS for Joy's articles - Visit Joy's website Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach and Motivational Speaker. A highly skilled group leader and business consultant, Joy has helped scores of women design the lives they choose to live. Helping women realize and achieve better ways of living is her passion, her purpose, and her business. As a wife and mother of two, Joy understands there is more to life than one's career. Like many women who are drawn to entrepreneurship, she inhabits a world that requires the integration of business with home life - and making time to nurture and care for herself. Joy works with women one-to-one, in groups and through speaking engagements, to help them define success on their own terms, identify outlets for their creativity, create businesses, and manage careers anchored in their most important values. Visit Joy's website, http://www.smartwomensolutions.com where you'll find more articles by Joy, upcoming workshops, Success Circles and her keynote speaking topics for women who are ready to begin the next phase of their life or career. You can contact Joy at (310) 454-2005 or by email, Joy@smartwomenslutions.com Click here to visit Joy's website Smart Women And The 5 Fundamental Questions for Business Success Smart Women Trim the Layers of Their Lives How Smart Women Stay Busy Smart Women Are Like Rocket Ships Smart Women Create |
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