the Weekly Framework: on how tiny steps (eventually) add up
hello, friends đ
I often fall into the trap of thinking that my small contributions to the world donât matter. Tiny acts of kindness or bravery or resistance seem futile in the face of tech billionaires who seem bent on destroying civilization (not to mention the natural world).
But Iâve just wrapped up a project that visibly demonstrated the stunning cumulative power of tiny, seemingly inconsequential steps: I successfully transformed my previously overgrown, out-of-control backyard.
Yâall, I am here to tell you: it had gotten bad. I had a couple years where yardwork just wasnât a priority, and once it got to a certain level of wildness, it was overwhelming. I only had an hour or so a day to work outside, while the weeds had 24 hours to grow đ Plus, it was wild enough that it was always full of birdsâ nests, and I wouldnât want to displace some family of Carolina wrens or American robins or gray catbirds or any of the other species that nest in my yard.
I mean, where do you even start with something like this??
This year, though, I made a plan. Starting on March 1st, long before it felt appropriate to be doing yardwork, I promised myself I would spend at least 30 minutes a day working in the yard. I made a list of where I would focus each day, prioritized by the likelihood of birds nesting in that area.
I budgeted five days for this area đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł Friends, it did not take five days.
about 20 days later âŠ
Even with a plan, this part of the yard was absolutely overwhelming. It was all intertwined vines, most of which had wicked thorns, and interspersed with poison ivy that was unrecognizable until it started leafing out. But there were also lovely old hostas in there (almost smothered by liriope) and a beautiful young sweetbay magnolia tree, so I wanted to preserve what I could.
Every day was a battle just to start. What can you even do in the face of such a mess?
My mantra was âone handful at a time.â Grab a vine, cut off a section, get it in the trash. Grab a hunk of liriope, or a weedy root, and dig it out. Over and over, every day. Some days, 30 minutes made no visible difference.
But as I stuck with it, it started looking better. And then one day, I realized it was done enough to think about replanting.
yes, this is the same spot! minus scads of greenbrier, wild blackberry, porcelain berry, a butterfly bush, and a random Bradford pear that had found its way over from my neighborâs đ±
The takeaway here is that yes, those tiny actions mattered. Each one looked (and felt) meaningless, but after enough reps, wellâI donât think itâs an exaggeration to call this area transformed.
replanted with natives: arrowwood viburnum, evening primrose, gray goldenrod, and lyreleaf sageâand the non-native (but non-invasive) hostas are thriving now that most of the liriope is gone!
Letâs get into this weekâs questions:
Reflecting on last week: How was last week? Were you as productive as you hoped to be? If not, do you at least know what pulled you off course? Were you able to find meaning in some of what you did?
Preparing for this week: What do you have on the agenda over the next week or two? How can you prepare today so that youâre more likely to meet your goals?
Taking small steps toward a goal: Is there a big project youâre facing that feels overwhelming? Whatâs the tiniest commitment you could make to start moving on that project? Can you do that step every day? See if thereâs a way to break this down into some kind of plan. Even if your plan (like mine) turns out to be ludicrously optimistic, itâll probably help keep you focused and moving forward.
Recognizing the progress youâve made: How can you keep track of the progress youâre making so you can look back and see how far youâve come? I donât think I would have finished this project if I hadnât been taking regular progress pictures (which I only did because Iâd promised to share them with a gardening accountability buddy!). If youâre already midway through your big project, reflect on where you started and where you are now. Have you made a difference, even a small one? Itâs okay if you canât see any change right now; itâs probably there, but itâs hard to recognize when youâre in the midst of the (literal or figurative) weeds.
Taking care of yourself: What tiny steps can you take to look after yourself this week? Alternatively, what tiny steps are you already taking that you donât often remember to give yourself credit for?
Have a lovely week, friends đ
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