The first day of my new decade is a ripper.
It’s raining cats and dogs.
And has been raining heavily on and off since Christmas Day.
After a decade in drought and the last twelve months not even producing 400mm of rain – a minimum 600mm is our norm – it’s been my driest year here yet.
So is this a prelude of what’s to come?
Of course not.
I’m not a believer in anything other than the fact that every day I’m dealt a hand of cards and it’s up to me to play them the best way I can, with the knowledge and experience I’ve acquired so far.
My days are dramatically undramatic.
I’ve reached the stage in my life where peace of mind is very important. As I think it is for most people.
That doesn’t mean that adventure and exhilaration don’t enter into the equation.
It just means that careless, stupid events are avoided rather than embraced.
I’m anxious to get to know 2010.
A new year is always an unknown, isn’t it? It isn’t until the year is finished that we get a chance to reflect on what happened. Ditto for a whole day. Or a whole hour.
I’m sure that when we reflect backwards, we mutter to ourselves that we could have done ‘xyz’ in a different way.
I always make a mental note of that and ensure that next time ‘xyz’ rears up in front of me, I handle it the way I prefer.
I also don’t make resolutions.
Just plans.
To me, resolutions are set in stone.
Plans are like road maps. If you stumble across a detour or a blockade, there’s always another route to take.
I’m all in favour of flexibility. If you can’t bend with the wind, you’re in danger of being broken.
So what do I do on the 1st of January?
Victor and I stay up on New Year’s Eve just long enough to welcome in the new year.
And the first day of the year is always spent taking a walk around our garden. Rain or shine.
It’s a time to reflect on what’s been successful and what needs to be done.
And to enjoy listening to the birds and watching our 3 dogs run around, chasing each other, barking at their sheer enjoyment of the chase, and having no close neighbours for them to annoy.
During the year I keep copious business notes in my Moleskine journal.
It’s full of tidbits from the constant stream of business books I read.
As well as comments from customers and friends.
And ideas I come across in the press and from blogs.
And on the first of January, I take the time to go through those notes and form my plan of action for the coming year.
It takes almost the whole day to do this. But it’s become such an integral part of the success of my business, I look forward to it.
Being a micro-business, I can formulate my plans with no other people in mind other than all my loyal customers.
Who, in fact, are the most important.
They, after all, are who really pay my bills and feed my dogs.
I have no shareholders or stingy, mean spirited management to justify why I want to do or give more.
And that’s what my plans are all about.
What can I do to surprise, please and add sparkle to the experience my customers, friends and family have with me?
If you’ve never tried this approach, it’s a bit of a confronting concept, isn’t it?
Because most people think about doing more for themselves and less for others.
Especially in business.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve been exhilarated by a business that left me wondering why I bothered to make the effort to part with my hard earned cash to make them a little bit richer.
On the other hand, I have been astounded by memorable experiences when a business has made me feel so very special that I look for another reason to go back and visit them.
It all comes down to the people behind the business.
The takers take and the givers give.
And the experience with each one is totally different.
Takers are matter of fact and generally uncaring. They leave you cold. And often annoyed.
Givers are naturally warm and comforting. They make you glow. And very often make you feel extra special.
I’ve always been a giver. Even as a child.
And the more I give, the more pleasure I receive.
And when you do something for someone else, they invariably want to do something for you in return.
Not everyone.
But most people.
We planned our garden like that.
When we arrived in 1992, our 10 year old, modest brick project house was plonked in the middle of a vacant hectare of paddock.
It resembled the surface of Mars more than Earth.
Having moved from a tiny terrace garden in Balmain, a hectare of virgin, weed infested land is daunting.
So daunting I read about gardening for 4 years before we sunk our first hole for our first plant.
But in the process I learned that the more you nurture and care for your soil, the more the soil will reward you with stunning plants.
So we planned a totally organic garden.
Yes, it’s lots of work.
Collecting sheep manure and hauling 30kg bags of it around and digging the contents into infertile, rocky, shaley soil has been worth it, though.
And because we don’t spray, we’re rewarded with more than 90+ species of birds that fly in and fly out during the year.
We do the same with mulch. Either make our own or buy it by the bale and cart it home and ensure each bit of bare earth is covered to retain precious moisture. Ground covers now serve that purpose as much as mulch.
Insects?
We have plenty.
Some are beneficial. Some are a nuisance.
Yet we never spray the nuisance insects.
Because that job is left to the birds and lizards.
And they love their work!
Yes, we have to wait a few days for the birds to clean the aphids off the roses, but in return, the birds nest here because there’s plenty of food and we get to watch the little fledglings become the next generation of inhabitants.
The same with the lizards.
Wherever there’s food and water, they make a home for the next generation.
This is also how I run my business.
For the benefit of each and every customer.
The more I do for you and them, the more everyone enjoys the experience and the more often you’ll come back to say ‘Hello’.
Which makes my day.
Best wishes for an interesting and rewarding 2010.
Each day is what you and I make of it.
This Guerrilla From The Bush knows that sometimes the cards we’re dealt are really despicable. But when the hand is played with dignity and aplomb, it’s always a winner.
I love it when you stop by and hope to see more of you during the year.
You can view photos of my garden at My Place In The Bush, A Photo Album.
Take care,
Carol
