Grass in my lawn.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Don’t let the grass grow under your feet,” as a way to tell someone to stop procrastinating and move things along.

But, as someone who’s been trying to grow grass the last few weeks, I have to say growing grass is harder than you think.

Now I know some of you might be wondering, “How hard can it be, Frances? I mean, it’s grass. You’re not trying to grow the prizewinning pumpkin at the county fair.

All I can say is that– like mugs and baseball hats– grass is something you might be taking for granted. Because, as you may have noticed, just because mugs and hats are ubiquitous doesn’t mean they’re lovely– and grass is much the same. Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s easy. If you doubt me, try to grow some grass on a bare patch of lawn. Then you’ll see.

That said, I’ve been enjoying the process and a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way translated so well into a business context, I thought I’d pass them along:

1. Don’t be fooled by the size of the kink: As those of you know who’ve dragged a hose around the lawn the size of the kink in the hose is not commensurate with the amount of water getting through. The smallest kink will shut you down as effectively as the biggest tangle. So if your project is stalled, or completely stopped, don’t immediately jump to Doomsday thinking. There may simply be one tiny thing you’ve overlooked. Double-check your work.
2. You can’t will it to happen: The original language of the Bible was Aramaic (Yes, you are reading the same blog post– the one about grass. Stay with me.) And, in Aramaic the word “sin” translates into “not ripe.” Something is a sin, if it happens in the wrong time, with the wrong person, etc. The same is true in your yard. You can’t will grass to grow on your schedule. And in your business, you can’t will the deal to go through. Sometimes things aren’t happening because it’s not yet time for them to happen, or it’s not the right person for them to be happening with. Be patient. Wait for the situation to ripen.
3. Uneven growth is natural: Like hair on a newborn, your lawn does not grow in uniformly. The area that gets the most shade is going to come in first. Weeds will arrive shortly after that. Then, slowly, slowly, the rest of your lawn starts filling in. It’s possible your business is growing in much the same way: the area you nurtured grew quickly. Then the weedy, pesky, ugly bits started showing up. But then– what do you know? —you might find yourself waking up one day to a thriving business. I’m guessing you will.

I’m pretty sure this is the extent of my green thumb wisdom, but I hope it was useful. As always, do let me know.

Frances Cole Jones