50 Not Out – Prepare Your Soil For Harvest

As we start a brand new season of Spring here in Australia, it is a great time to refocus on what’s most important moving forward and reject any un-resourceful mindsets and behaviours that have taken root during the winter. When we all do this, we will be prepared to welcome new opportunities that bring fresh new life.

Let Me Show You What I Mean

The last few months for me have been particularly challenging as I overome the effects of Melanoma Cancer. Doctors, tests, operations, hospitals, waiting for results and post operative pain; they have all taken a toll on my physical and mental well being. Some days I knew it would all be OK and others I was preparing for the worst. Even though I am recognised as an expert in being able to transform mindsets and behaviours in others, this was all a little too close to home for me. Being confronted with your mortality can rock your world if you allow it to, and I did.

So How Did This Benefit Me Long Term?

Now that all the cancer has been removed and I have the all clear, I needed to find the positive in all this. Turning 50 right in the middle of all this has marked a milestone that will remain with me for the rest of my long life ahead. I will be able to reflect positively on how this experience has strengthened me, turning my soil so to speak, removing the weeds and adding fertiliser for new growth. It is now up to me to decide what to plant and to refocus on what my harvest will look like.

For those of you who have hung around me for a while, you will be familiar with a process I implement to make sure the negative experiences can be turned to good. It is called REFLECT – REFOCUS – RELAUNCH.

REFLECT

Forward focussed reflection of the last few months has revealed many learnings that I can use to water the new seeds that have been sown. I have learned I need more people around me who I empower to speak to me when my self-talk isn’t serving me or what I say is incongruent with what I believe and teach. It has made me be more focussed, removing everything from my life that is not a part of the master plan or is stunting the growth of my relationships and my business. It has also taught me that when I withdraw and “try” to do it all and handle it all myself to protect others, it actually has the opposite effect on them. I am not a super human who can do everything in my own strength, I need to strike a balance between helping others with self taken care of. These are just a few of the learnings that I take from this experience, done so in a way that produces new life rather than producing more weeds that take hold and hold me back.

REFOCUS

Many seeds were planted, some need to be watered and nurtured and some need to be ripped out before they have a chance to grow. Now that I have a clearer picture of who I really am, and who I need to become moving forward, I have refocussed on what is most important to me and rejected what was just there to feed my insecurities or fears. My garden is now ready to produce nutritious, healthy food for me and those I am called to feed and there are even some shade trees and colourful flowers that were not there before.

RELAUNCH

Over the last few weeks I have seen new growth popping up everywhere. Having gone through steps 1 & 2, it is so easy and effortless to recognise the weeds and pluck them out, rejecting them as being of no value to the overall plan. New opportunities in our business are flourishing and we are taking back the ground that was stagnant and covered with weeds before. Checks and balances are in place to alert me when the focus is waining and the soil needs more water or food.

I am “50 not out”….now let’s go for the century. (That’s a cricket analogy for those who may not have recognised it). They say “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”. Whilst I agree with this wholeheartedly, I believe “what doesn’t kill you gives you something to write a book about” and “50 Not Out” sounds like a best selling title to me.

Thank you for allowing me to make this post all about me. My aim was to be vulnerable and honest to allow as many people as read this to apply it to their own lives as they reflect, refocus and relaunch. A special thank you to my loving wife Paula and my amazing kids, who have been even more supportive and generous in the space they have given me as I have prepared the ground for our family’s future. Thank you to all my outstanding friends and clients who have stood by me and supported me, especially my best friend Peter who gave me tough love when I needed to hear it and a hug when that was more appropriate.

Enjoy the new life that Spring brings you…..you deserve it!

Cheers Grant