Zone of genius

Hello, my friends! Today I wanted to just take the time to go down a rabbit hole for a minute. I feel at this moment like I am in a liminal space with my career. I finished my bachelors in agriculture a few years ago, started out my journey with farmers markets, and tested out and explored my passion with my content-creation and writing skills. But a few weeks ago I have noticed that things are really changing. I’m feeling grown-out of my original iteration of my business. I’ve tested things and retested them and seen the results. I’ve had time to observe what others do, how they do it, and even been able to ask many of these people their advice. I’m feeling, right now, that change is coming, and although I am hesitant and anxious about it, it’s also a good anxiousness, an anticipation of adventure in newness.
I’m trying to take time to listen to my heart and map out what I imagine and dream of for my life, and how to get there. Planning and planning and thinking and doing. And enjoying along the way.
Last Friday I had the opportunity to go to a KY First Farms workshop put on by the UKY extension service of Bullitt Co. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they sent ahead an exciting agenda with seminars like agroforestry and beekeeping on it, as well as the more down and dirty legal sides and planning sides of setting up a business. I arrived at the extension to a bright group of people who were genuinely thrilled to be there and share what has been successful to them. There were a lot more participants than I thought there would be because the program was a free offering, but there were a lot of participants, a wide panel of speakers (who were all very inviting and gladly talked with us and answered extra questions), a great selection of mostly directly-useful information handouts, and not to mention biscuits and sausage gravy and Panera lunches. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of these “getting started” events and programs, but I really do think there’s a lot of value in constantly starting over, constantly racking through the basics to make absolute sure that my foundation is right. Right based on how I wasn’t to to be, what my heart is feeling currently, how the climate and weather and topography dictate the land and farmstead be organized and cared for. I feel like keeping going over the basics is giving me the courage to “start before I can start”… before I actually start building a farm to build a homestead practice and business. I can’t have sheep now, but what CAN I do now with actually working with KY sheep and wool? My question now is: how can I streamline? How can I simplify? How can I narrow down what I’m doing and focus on my zone of genius?
I felt like I had a plan on narrowing my work down, really focusing my efforts, but then I sit down and really dream about what I really really want to do. Not just what I want to do with my career, but what I want to make sure I do in life. I really want to have a successful market garden, I really do. But I also really want to wash wool, spin yarn, dye it, sell it. But you know, I hear my momma saying to me, “you can do it all. Just not all at once.”
And as Billy Joel says, Vienna waits for you.
So I’m going to practice imagining the long haul and trying to streamline for success before expanding. I have time.
Thank you all for supporting me through your viewership and patronage! I am going to close commissions for the year next week as I am starting to be slammed with holiday and end of year surprises and gifts. So get your spot before I close!
Blessings, blessings!