The garden at this time of year, is NUTS. It is full-on, full-speed, everything-happening-all-at-once. I hear the same leaders in Tech - AI is driving speed like never before and everyone is under pressure to adopt
I have to get the greenhouses ready. I have clean up of ‘the sins of the winter revealed’ I have lots of off farm priorities. And, clearly didn’t feel my life was quite chaotic enough, I’ve decided to add two puppies in to the mix with Emmett. (Because nothing says “Strategic Stillness” like four-legged chaos-monsters chewing on my irrigation lines).
So, how do we prioritize when the weather, the business, and the puppies demand our attention all at once?
Vision/Goal check: Three-Bucket Filter
It gets easier when everything is tied to the Vision. This year, I am filtering every “urgent” task through three buckets:
The Offering (The Integrated Life): Creating a new world of personal and team development workshops. This is the big pivot—merging the boardroom and the soil. If it doesn’t build this bridge, it’s a “weed.”
The Farm (The Core Mission): Streamlining to grow amazing food. Partnering with Pearl Morissette to provide exactly what they need while maximizing food security for my community. This is about sustainability—not just for the land, but for me.
The Joy (The Sacred Space): If the work overwhelms the spaciousness for joy—like our new family reunion tradition in the “Land Between”—then the work is failing. Love underpins dedication and drive. The rock, shield, and water of the Kawarthas are non-negotiable.
The Reality Check: Nature’s Prioritization Tool
Even with these buckets, the week-to-week is a constant vigilance. The beauty of “actual dirt” is that it doesn’t lie.
On the farm, the weather sets the deadline. The plants have to go in the ground now or there is no harvest. Period.
To manage the “Gap” between where I am and the vision, I use this framework
Step 1: Vision/Goals - create my crystal clear buckets of goals that align to the vision. Across my tech based clients these are things like Agentic AI to drive efficiency and innovation; Operational optimization; Culture that enable people to thrive
Step 2: Once you have those look at the real deep down dirt of where you are - no sugar coating, no optimistic tendency - the absolute truth. This give you your gap
Step 3: Fill the gap daily, weekly and review monthly with actions that move the needs against the buckets. Any progress is good progress and builds amazing momentum and morale on the team
Wild leeks coming up
Love the clarity that comes with 'everything happening all at once' pressures. 3 buckets...great structure!