Prepare

The weather is changing and, in my mind, that means one thing.

It’s almost time to plant my garden.

I love my garden. It’s my place of refuge, a connection to nature, a tangible way to see the (literal) fruits of my labor.

But the first step to planting a successful garden is not to buy my seeds. It’s not even getting the dirt and fertilizer.

The first step is to make a plan.

My goal is to expand my garden this year and to protect it from some of the furry friends who live in my yard. And I simply can’t do successfully that if I jump in with both feet and don’t make a plan.

So yesterday I started to plan.

I looked at what I have. I mapped out what I want. I talked with my husband about the best way to build a protective fence without stealing from the beauty of the flowers. I figured out where I’m putting the cucumbers and the tomatoes and the herbs. I decided which flowers to plant and where to plant them.

And, hopefully, in a few months I will have the best garden I’ve had in years.

Preparation is the key to success in so many things. Taking the appropriate steps is key to making something turn out as perfect as possible. Marriage, finances, job opportunities — the more work you put in on the front end, the better chance you have of being successful.

What are you working on? Have you put in the right steps to make sure you’re sufficiently prepared?