We had a big change in our life this week. It shook things up a bit and we’re still trying to figure out what to do next.
We cut down a tree in our front yard.
And now our front yard looks so empty. Although we’ve only lived in our house for ten years, that tree stood there protectively for over 5 decades. It was good-sized, added a bit of character to our property, and provided some nice shade on our front sidewalk. It wasn’t the prettiest tree, but I liked it. It was familiar. It was comfortable.
Unfortunately, it was dying and needed to go. It had actually been dying for a few years. Each summer, I pruned off the dead limbs, hoping to prolong its stay of execution, all the while knowing it should be cut down.
Do you know why I didn’t cut that tree down sooner? It was because I didn’t wan’t to go through the transition required to replace the tree and grow a new one. I dreaded losing a big, shady tree and putting a smaller one in its place. So I dragged my feet for at least three years before finally swinging the axe — even after the tree repeatedly threatened to cause damage by dropping limbs on our house and cars.
Now I’m three years behind in growing a new tree because I let my excuses for keeping the old, mediocre tree overshadow the benefits of planting a healthy, strong new one.
With a new tree I can actually make my house look nicer and maybe even increase its value. A new tree, properly treated, will grow quickly and steadily. And it will no doubt be a lot easier to care for than an old tree that has stopped growing and started dying.
I dreaded the transition so much that I never really looked for the kind of tree I needed/wanted to replace it with. If I had found a desirable replacement, I probably would have acted sooner.
We all have at least one dying tree that limits our personal growth.
What’s yours?
- A mediocre employee?
- A toxic relationship?
- An unhealthy habit?
- A destructive personality trait?
- A lack of focus?
Ask yourself:
- What will I lose if I let this dying tree limit me for another month, quarter, or year?
- What will I gain if I grow a new tree instead over the next month, quarter, or year?
Go. Swing that axe.
P.S. If you’re really ready to take your personal growth up about ten notches, you should check out the Rockstar Retreat at sparkspace on August 29-30. It is a premier, one-of-a-kind experience exclusively for rockstar business professionals like you.