The Lawn Doesn't Lie

I cut the grass for the first time this year on Saturday morning. It had been months since the mower came out of the garage, and honestly, the lawn was starting to look like something you'd see on a wildlife documentary. A bit embarrassing, but there it is.

The thing about that first cut of the year is that you never quite know what you're going to find underneath all that overgrowth. There were patches that had gone thin and pale, a bit bald in places. A couple of spots where moss had crept in and made itself at home. And then, weirdly, a few areas that had come back strong and looked almost immaculate.

I didn't plan the lawn. I didn't nurture it through winter. I just left it, and it did what it did. And now, standing there looking at it, I could see exactly where I'd neglected it and exactly where the underlying ground had been solid enough to survive without me.

It made me think about the business owners I work with.

When things get busy or hard, most of us do what I did with the lawn. We pull back from the maintenance. We stop doing the small consistent things because they don't feel urgent. We focus on the fires and quietly let the foundations take care of themselves. And for a while, they do. The lawn looks fine from a distance. But spring always comes, and then you're standing there with a mower, and the truth is right there in front of you.

The structure you put in place during the calm months is what determines how you come back after the hard ones. Not the big dramatic effort. Not the three-hour session on a Saturday morning hacking back what's grown wild. The quiet, boring, consistent work you do when nobody's watching and nothing feels urgent.

I got the lawn sorted in the end. It took longer than it should have, and I had to go over a few patches twice. But it's looking decent now, and I've told myself I'll keep on top of it this year.

I probably say that every April.

If your planning has gone a bit overgrown lately, the free guide at www.garethboot.com/free-guide is a decent place to start. Short, practical, and no fluff.

Take Care.

GB