Cultivating Your Career: How Gardening Teaches Professional Growth in Six Successful Strategies

poppy!

Gardening and career growth share many similarities. Both require patience, a long view, and the right environment to flourish. We can apply gardening principles to nurture our professional lives by understanding these parallels. Here are six steps to take now that will undoubtedly pay off in the long run.

I’ve included a Best Practice to strive for for each, but if it seems unrealistic or out of reach, try the Realistic Practice instead. Later, when you have more confidence, capacity, and resources (or all three), tackle the Best Practice, too.

Pro Tip: Just like a garden needs sunlight, clean water, and rich soil, your career will require wisdom, momentum, and systems.

Focusing on three key areas and applying them to the six steps is the key to a gorgeous garden and rich, rewarding harvest.

Wisdom

Wisdom is the first key to career growth. Seek out mentors, coaches, and individuals who are a decade or two ahead in their careers. Look for those whose life, family, and career you admire, and learn from their experiences and guidance. This is not just a time-saver, it’s a life-saver. Even the most talented individuals have blind spots and need someone to bounce ideas off, evaluate…