Finding Growth in Your Business Journey

Embracing the Process of Growth

Lately, I've been planting buckwheat in areas of my garden where I don't yet have enough mulch or permanent plants. I plan to cover everything with wood chips eventually, but since ChipDrop hasn't come through yet and I'm not about to pay for mulch, I've been making do with what I have.

Honestly, buckwheat has been one of my favorite surprises this year. Out of everything I've planted, it's been one of the fastest-growing and least troublesome. It hasn't faced much pest pressure, aside from a little weather stress and one brief period where I forgot to water. Within days of planting, tiny green shoots start appearing. Before long, areas that were dusty, cracked, and brown began turning lush and green.

Of course, that doesn't stop me from checking.

After sowing the seeds, I found myself looking every day to see if anything had sprouted. I worried the birds would eat them. I wondered if I'd planted enough. I discovered my seed broadcasting skills still need work, as some areas ended up with clumps while others looked a little sparse.

The funny thing is that when I watch the buckwheat every day, it feels like it's barely growing. When I get busy and don't pay attention for a week, I come back amazed at how much has changed.

The Parallel to Business Growth

Business can feel the same. We send the email and check the open rates. We post on social media and wonder why engagement isn't higher. We wait for replies from potential clients and question whether our efforts are working. Sometimes we become so focused on immediate results that we forget growth is often happening beneath the surface before we can see it.

I know I've abandoned things too soon in the past. I've tried marketing strategies that seemed aligned, only to become frustrated when they didn't produce the results I expected. Looking back, some of those ideas may have needed more time. Others weren't the right fit. The challenge is knowing the difference.

What I have noticed recently is that some small changes have released a surprising amount of tension. I may not be making dramatically more money, but I feel more flow in my business. Things feel simpler, more aligned, and less forced. And that matters.

Appreciating the Lean Seasons

When money is tight, it's easy to focus on everything you wish you had: better tools, better systems, more help, more plants, or a bigger harvest. Yet one of the gifts of lean seasons is that they teach appreciation. You notice the first ripe strawberry. You celebrate a patch of green where there used to be bare soil. You learn that progress doesn't have to be massive to be meaningful.

The same is true in business. Not all growth shows up immediately in your bank account. Sometimes growth looks like improved systems, greater confidence, better boundaries, stronger relationships, or work that feels more sustainable. Those changes may not be flashy, but they create the foundation for everything that comes next.

So if you're feeling impatient with your progress, whether in business, life, or even your garden, take a moment to look for the green. Look for the signs that something is growing, even if it isn't fully visible yet. Your garden doesn't grow faster just because you check it every day. And neither does your business.

3 Ways to Recognize Growth

1. Look for the green.

   Ask yourself what has improved over the last six months, even if it hasn't shown up in the financials yet.

   
   

2. Stop digging up the seeds.

   Not every strategy needs to be evaluated every few days. Give good ideas enough time to germinate.

   
   

3. Celebrate evidence of progress.

   Less stress, better systems, stronger skills, and greater alignment are all signs that growth is happening.

   
   

Sometimes the biggest lesson isn't learning how to grow faster. It's learning to notice the green that's already growing.

What green shoots are you noticing in your life right now?