Week 1 Preparation: Plant A Tree For Success - alternativeSOHO

My personal challenge started on the 1st of April and it is nearing the one week mark. I would like to take a moment to go over what I did for this first week and how the challenge is coming along for me.

I have dubbed this first week the week of preparation. There is no lasting success without preparing for it first. Yes, it may seem that we sometimes “fall” into success, but the fact is, we were preparing for it long before we even realized it. But since I have consciously decided upon a goal, I’ve decided to consciously prepare for it as well.

Preparation will vary from person to person, but I’ve found that my personal preparation involves planting a tree for success. I’ve read over the many different techniques there are to set goals and document progress, etc., etc., but many of them did not work for me. I needed to create my own technique, something that I could wrap my mind around.

I’m a visual person who loves analogies. The one analogy that has stuck with me throughout the years is likening goals to a garden. You must plant the seed and nurture it in order for it to grow. I’ve since changed this to a forest. Trees represent strength and stability as well as beauty to me - so I decided, that was the analogy I would go with.

Since I live in an area where I wouldn’t be able to literally plant a tree, I draw it instead and plant something else. I sat down and drew my tree (in this case an apple tree - I like variety, so my trees vary) on a blank piece of paper and I wrote down my goals - right there on the tree.

I started with the trunk which represented my ultimate goal. What did I want to achieve? In this case, $100 per day.

I then moved on to the roots. What are the foundations of this goal, what will I use to help me achieve this? I wrote down the different programs/websites I expected to develop.

Then I moved down to the soil. What nutrients do I need to nourish the programs I’m developing? This can be anything you feel will be necessary, but for me, it was seed money, ambition, positive attitude, and proper budgeting.

And finally, what fruits did I expect my goal to bear? What did I expect to come of accomplishing my goal? For me, it was a feeling of pride and accomplishment, a 2 week vacation to Jamaica, shorter work hours.

Once my tree was all written over in a black sharpie, I then proceeded to color it. I had tremendous fun breaking out my Crayola crayons and coloring like a kid again, all the while knowing this tree was a representation of my ultimate goal.

After my tree was written all over and colored in, I cut it out and added it to my forest. You see, I have a 2′x3′ white poster board which resides on my bedroom door. I see it everyday when I wake up and throughout the day as I work. It serves as a reminder of my goals - some long completed, and some still in progress.

To further reinforce this goal I walk out to my stone garden and I plant something — like I said, since I can’t plant a tree, I choose something else to represent it — in this case, I decided to plant some Cupani Sweet Peas. As I nurture this plant and allow it to grow, it will also serve as a reminder to nurture my goals and allow them to grow.

The key is to develop a method that works for you. Do what is necessary to prepare for your success and get your mind ready.

If you’d like to see or use my “tree” - you’re welcome to download it and print it as necessary. Remember, have fun and keep it all in perspective.