By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
From the prophets of the Old Testament to songwriters of today, much has been shared about how, during the changing of seasons, we can reap the best harvest. Here I am referring to “harvest” in a metaphorical sense — as it pertains to our garden of life.
Also, as a recruiter for many years, much of that time in the oil and gas arena, I believe to reap a good harvest or, in other words, get that great offer, promotion or new title, we need to really be cognizant of how the seeds we sow are received. With so many changes going on, it is of paramount importance to sow the right seeds and prepare our personal soil well so we can be happy with the harvest we receive.
I felt so strongly about this metaphor that I wrote a chapter about it in my latest book, “Revolutionary Results,” which is about life lessons. I am highlighting a bit about this chapter here.
As I write this, September is nearly upon us. That’s a time to honor the harvest — whether that means the things you planted in your backyard garden or the important things you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. This truly is a time of deep reflection.
Circumstances of the past few years don’t have to deter you from reaping the harvest you’ve nurtured. Now more than ever, if you want your results to be prosperous, get your soil ready for not just any seeds but the right seeds. Let’s look at ways you can cultivate the soil of your life so that you can harvest a garden of opportunity.
1. Prepare the Soil
No farmer would ever try to plant crops in soil that is not healthy and tilled properly. It must be filled with nutrient-rich ingredients for anything to take root and grow well. The same applies to your personal and professional harvest. The first layer of soil you must tend is your mindset. If you hold a negative mindset — such as remaining discouraged at what happened in the past — and you voice that negativity to family, peers or prospective employers, nothing healthy will grow. Till your soil to remove the damaging patterns of thinking and action and leave the soil fertile. By shaping your mindset into a positive, unshakable inner dialogue that doesn’t allow the past to hinder your present pursuits, you will be ready to receive new seeds that will yield a bountiful harvest of opportunity and expansive growth in your career and personal affairs.
2. Plant According to the Available Harvest
All farmers must decide what bountiful crops they want to harvest. Before you start planting seeds in your personal or professional gardens, ask yourself what you want to reap. If the garden you have been in for the past 20 years is no longer fertile, do you need assistance with presenting your talents for a new garden, demonstrating transferable skills to a prospective employer? Do you need to plant new ideas by taking classes that will make you more valuable? Could joining groups be a good step to help you expand your network of contacts? What about doing something totally new, like taking a dance or class?
3. Sow a Variety of Crops
The farmer can never really be certain of the seeds he sows. The same hold true for the seeds your sow for your personal and professional gardens. But you must plant those seeds before anything can manifest! Consider planting your seeds in a variety of ways to give yourself better odds of a bounty in many venues. For example, you might work with a career consultant or coach, apply for jobs through online job boards, join networking groups and contact previous bosses for referrals. In other words, mix it up a bit and consider things you may have previously ignored.
4. Be Grateful for the Current Season
Every season has its advantages for the farmer’s bountiful harvest, but certain seasons are better for planting particular seeds. For example, fall is the best time of year to plant perennials. The same can be said of careers and personal lives. The first of the year is known for new beginnings, established personal goals we want to achieve, fresh hiring budgets and planning strategies for expansive growth of companies. However, if you were given a layoff notice in early summer, maybe the season you are currently in calls for a bit of time off so you can take a break and re-evaluate your strategy or plan.
As you reflect on the harvest season, assess where you are and where you want to go, and be grateful for the lessons learned, the people you have met along the way and how your experiences — good or bad — have prepared you for a more exciting journey ahead. Building your mindset around a sense of gratitude will allow you to manifest a greater harvest in your career as well as your personal life.
Let your attitude, not your circumstances, determine your best harvest. Prepare the soil of your mindset for the seeds you will plant to make sure they yield bountiful opportunities for a growth-oriented life. Our work and personal worlds are connected: When we are happy in our careers, we bring those good feelings to our family and friends — during the autumn harvest and beyond.
I hope during this season you till the soil of your life to have a wonderful harvest. As the Bible-inspired song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds goes: “A time to plant, a time to reap … a time to every purpose under heaven.”
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.
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