Let It Grow

Sometimes we can love something so much that we won't leave it alone.

We plant the seed.

Water it.

Check it.

Move it.

Check it again.

Add something.

Change something.

Wonder why it hasn't grown yet.

Maybe water it again. 😂

At some point, we're not tending anymore.

We're interfering.

Earlier this month, I wrote about growth being silent.

That lesson was about trusting that something could be happening even when I couldn't see it.

Now I'm learning the other side of that lesson:

Sometimes I've done enough for today.

That's not always easy for someone who likes results.

When I know where I want to go, my instinct is to keep moving toward it.

Do something.

Fix something.

Research something.

Add something.

Make another plan.

Find another resource.

Because action feels like progress.

And often it is.

But growth also requires time.

A plant doesn't grow faster because we stand over it.

A relationship doesn't become stronger because we analyze it every day.

A business doesn't become successful because we change the strategy every time results aren't immediate.

A new skill doesn't become natural after one attempt.

And every decision doesn't need to be reconsidered before we've given it enough time to teach us something.

Sometimes we need to let the work work.

That's different from neglect.

Letting something grow doesn't mean ignoring it.

We still water.

We still check the soil.

We still pull weeds.

We still prune when necessary.

We still use our resources.

We still pay attention.

But we stop expecting every action to immediately produce a harvest.

That's where patience becomes part of consistency.

There are days when our responsibility is simply to complete today's assignment.

Send the email.

Serve the customer.

Have the conversation.

Practice the skill.

Clean the space.

Make the decision.

Complete the task.

Then stop.

Tomorrow will have its own work.

I'm beginning to appreciate that more.

Maybe I don't have to spend every day staring at the finish line.

Maybe I can know where I'm going while still paying attention to where I am.

Maybe progress isn't only about arriving.

Maybe there is something worth experiencing in the distance between here and there.

That's not lowering the goal.

It's being present while pursuing it.

We've spent September learning how to do the work.

But doing the work also means knowing when today's work is complete.

We don't have to dig the seed back up tonight to make sure it's growing.

We'll come back tomorrow.

We'll tend it again.

We'll make adjustments when there's enough information to make them.

And we'll keep moving.

But for today?

Let it grow.