What Gardening and Your Health Goals Have in Common

Australian Native Cottage Garden

Would you believe that we have been in our new house for one month already! We have settled in nicely, though it will take some months to unpack everything and put things in their rightful place.  I'm really enjoying the solitude and tranquility, and today even though it's drizzling rain, it's beautiful as I sit here at the kitchen table looking out to our private rainforest.

Something I'm really enjoying is weeding.  Yes...weeding.  Try it...it's very therapeutic!

There are alot of weeds here, and before I can even begin to design my Australian Native cottage garden, I need to eradicate all the weeds.  We basically have no grass...it's mostly weeds.  So it's quite a labourious job killing off weeds and then replacing them with grass.  It's not something that happens quickly.  Not only is the lawn full of weeds, but the garden bed at the front is full of them as well. Though, I've made some headway into the weeding there. 

In the garden bed, only pulling out weeds by hand is suitable.  And you have to make sure that when you pull them out, you get the roots and all, otherwise they will just grow back.  I use a little spade to help me get in under the roots in the soil a little, and then I give a nice little tug on the weed, as close to bottom of the plant as possible.

I think I'm developing some little OCD tendencies built around keeping the house clean and...weeding!  I just can't stop once I start.  I like to see them disappear and see nice clean soil before me.

Anyway...so what does gardening and your health goals have in common?

While I was tinkering away pulling out weeds, I was thinking about how my garden would look once it was all designed, planted and growing.  I have visions of how I want my garden to look.   It's what inspires me to keep weeding.  It's the end that I have in mind, and that's what keeps me going and doing what needs to be done in the garden and around the yard.

I was wondering how anybody could let the weeds get this bad and let the yard look so unkept.  Didn't they see the garden as it could be?  Could they not imagine how spectacular a garden could be created here  and what veritable treasures await? 




My favourite deep red Geranium




Lovely lavender pansies



My Pierre De Ronsarde climbing roses never disappoint

Could they not see the potential.?  And did they not see what treasures could be revealed with a little imagination and a little effort?

So while I was contemplating upon this while weeding, I came to the realisation that our journey of health and fitness is alot like gardening.

Before you can really take that first step of creating a healthier and fitter you, you must first imagine the end result of YOU in your head. So you need to look at your journey as a landscape (being you) design project.  I think to get real and lasting results, you need to have a vision of how you want to be. 

So what potential lies before and in you?  What can you see and create?  You too are like a garden and you have many treasures to uncover.  What spectacular visions can you see of the project (you) which you are about to begin creating?

With that in mind, the first step in designing (you) once you have that vision, is write down all the steps required to achieve that vision to begin your project (you).  You should research all the information you need so that you know that you have the correct information at hand to achieve what you want and what is right for you.  That information can come from many different sources...books, internet, professionals, friends who have achieved what you aim for and can help with support and encouragement,etc.  You get the picture.

Next are all the tools required.  They could include gym membership;  maybe some home equipment; the right food, so you can make good food choices, etc, etc.

Now...once you start your little project, you might find that some things don't go exactly according to your original design plan, so you might have to do some tweaking along the way.  But once you've started and you're on your way you'll gather some momentum.  You'll see the fruits of your labour starting to blossom and the first signs of change and growth in your garden (you).  Hopefully, this will inspire you to keep moving toward achieving your project (you).

As we all know, some of the best laid plans can come unstuck.  Sometimes it's through our own neglect; sometimes it's because something happens and it's beyond your control, and all of a sudden your project has taken a back seat in the priority stakes for what ever reason.

And this is the most vulnerable and dangerous time.  This is when you need to be vigilant.  This is the time when those weeds begin to appear.  Those weeds can take the form of slipping into bad habits, making wrong food choices or not going to the gym, and many more.  Some weeds are worse than others and if you're not careful, those weeds can then begin to proliferate and take over, threatening the realisation of your project (you).

But take heart, because if you still have that vision of your design project (you) in your head and it's a strong vision, then it will haunt you.  Better still to have your design project in front of you where you can see it and you're constantly reminded of its' presence.  Because if you can do this, whatever little events or diversions which take you off-course temporarily, you will come back to your project, and do some necessary weeding and clearing of your garden (you).  You can then begin again to see with clarity, the vision of your design project (you).

So...do you need to do some weeding?  Try it...it's very therapeutic and you'll feel so much better once you've done a little.

I've been doing a little lately and I intend to get it under control very soon with a whole lot more. ,  And you know, just with a little weeding so far, I'm already feeling a whole lot better.