Imagine you’ve been appointed Head Gardener.
I don’t mean Head Gardener – of a Garden.
I mean Head Gardener – of your own head.
COVID’s hit us bad. In gardening terms, this year’s gone awry. Now that the hairdressers have re-opened there are obvious emergency measures. You might want to dress the windows with attention to your hair, eyebrows and nose tendrils.
A decent Head Gardener would also take care of the slightly less obvious jobs.
Eyes – upgrade to rose-tinted. Everything looks better when you see the best in people, places and things.
Ears – practice listening rather than simply hearing. You can really grow this skill over the coming weeks and months.
But a positive psychology Head Gardener would go way beyond the cosmetic. They’d invest in getting the plot right for next season by making changes now.
That’s about unglamorous stuff; tilling, planting, weeding, fertilizing. Mindset mostly – so people won’t see it taking place, but it means you can grow fresh ideas, new habits and a better attitude.
You learn to flourish.
And then they’ll notice!
That mind of yours. Feed it, stimulate it, water it (well) and talk to it (nicely!) We want growth, not undergrowth.
You may have missed Chelsea this year but it’s now the season for Training & Wellbeing Sessions.
Nigel Percy: Art of Brill’s leadership guru and Head Gardener