The Seeds of New Growth
We often think of “starting over” as this massive, sweeping cinematic event – a total overhaul where we wake up as entirely different people. But the most sustainable, real-deal growth happens in what I call the Second Spring. It’s that quiet, almost invisible moment when you decide to try again. Not with the frantic, desperate energy of a deadline, but with the gentle, protective care of a gardener.
If you’re feeling the pull to start something new – or maybe you’re bravely restarting something that stalled – please hear this: you don’t have to be a fully grown oak tree by Tuesday. You are allowed to be a seedling. You are allowed to be small.
The “Low-Floor” Strategy
The biggest enemy of momentum is an impossibly high bar. When we set goals that require 100% of our capacity, we set ourselves up to fail the moment life gets messy. And let’s be real, life is always a little messy. Instead, I’ve been leaning into the Low-Floor Approach.
A “Low-Floor” goal is something so incredibly small it’s actually harder to skip than it is to just do it.
- If you want to write, your low floor is one honest sentence.
- If you want to move your body, you low-floor is stretching for the length of one song.
By lowering the floor, you aren’t “lowering your standards.” You are protecting your energy and, more importantly, you are building a “trust muscle” with yourself. You’re proving to yourself that you show up.
The Heavy Truth: Nurturing the Soil
Growth requires more than just effort; it requires a safe environment. We need to talk about the “fertilizer” we use.
For a long time, I thought being hard on myself was the only way to stay disciplined. But we have to call it what it is: self-abuse. When we speak to ourselves with cruelty, when we shame ourselves for not being “further along” we aren’t motivating growth – we are poisoning the roots. Self-abuse is detrimental. It creates a state of internal freeze where we can’t move because we are terrified of our own inner critic.
Radical Patience is the antidote. Trust that even when you don’t see the leaves above the surface, the roots are finding their way deep down in the dark. Be kind to the version of you that is still learning how to grow.
This Week’s Tiny Action
What is one “seed” you are planting this week? Not the whole garden – just one tiny, manageable seed that you can tend to with kindness.
Don’t miss this week’s complimentary mini-blogs!
The Micro-Goal Method
The Affirmation Pocket
Image for the graphic by: Sandie Clarke on Unsplash