Slowing down can be the fastest way to make regenerative progress
By Kim Deans
One of the most common ways I see people limit their progress towards achieving their regenerative agriculture goals is through the belief that they must achieve results quickly. I am not saying that regenerative outcomes always happen slowly. How fast you will see results is always an “it depends” answer.
What I am referring to is how when we rush the process due to believing we have no time to waste, that we must get immediate results and perfectly predictable outcomes we will inevitably slow down our regenerative progress. Regardless of whether this belief comes from a perception that our age means we are running out of time, our financial position demands it or if it is to convince those criticising our changing methods it is always based in a scarcity mindset.
This scarcity mindset has its origins deeply imbedded in the very system we have decided to move away from by starting on a more “regenerative” path. It is a sign we have unintentionally fallen into the common trap of trying to solve our problems with the same familiar thinking that created them. Until we learn to leave our quick fix mentality behind us, we will continue to slow our progress down from realising the regenerative outcomes we know are possible.
Transforming agriculture begins and ends within transforming our mindsets. Old ways of thinking and doing things won’t open new doors. Rushing any processes in complex systems like agricultural ecosystems leads to poor problem analysis and misdirected efforts that end up wasting our time and creating unintended consequences. In complex systems 1 + 1 does not always equal 2.
This is the paradox of slowing down to go further. It does not matter how much we are doing if we are unintentionally taking things in the opposite direction to the outcome we desire. Working smarter is always more effective than working harder. When we slow down, we make time to observe, course correct early if needed and consider alternatives. Slowing ourselves down can turn overwhelm into clarity, shift our state of mind, and help us get clear on the next best steps for our unique context.
I have written several blog posts exploring ways we can shift towards a more regenerative way of being in agriculture which you can explore further if this is something you are grappling with:
To create lasting change in complex systems we encounter processes that lead us to have more questions than answers. Pushing ahead to find the one right answer quickly means we bypass the necessity of asking the right questions instead of looking for the right answers.
We can transform uncertainty into potential through experimenting and establishing a let it grow area.
We can cultivate our patience and make friends with time to help resist the temptation of the quick fixes. Working with nature is built on a foundation of patience.
We can prioritise good financial management and gain the skills required to ensure our regenerative transition process takes into account a clear understanding our financial position and the options available so we make informed and timely decisions and take advantage of opportunities that arise and mitigate the risks.
We can stop making excuses about being too busy and prioritise a regular soil monitoring practice to provide many opportunities for informed decisions, reduced risks, increased profit, improved confidence and act as an early warning system for unintended consequences arising in our land management system.
Instead of looking at things in terms of success or failure we can realise we only fail when we fail to learn and use every experience as feedback and see challenges as learning opportunities to grow our regenerative capacity.
When we slow ourselves down and make the time to connect with nature to put life at the centre of our decisions we realise how even when results are not visible it doesn’t mean valuable work is not happening. Just as we don’t see the billions of micro-organisms in a healthy soil, or plant roots growing deep in the soil, or see fungal mycelium spreading underneath a forest floor the most powerful aspects of any system are often the least visible. When we focus our attention on the aspects of a system that we can most easily see we ignore the unseen, essential aspects of transformational change.
“If you feel like giving up because you are not seeing results, remember this, the last thing to grow on a fruit tree is the fruit!”
- source unknown
Regenerating our mindset rarely happens in isolation. Working with a trained coach is an enjoyable and effective way to break through what’s holding you back from realising your potential. Email Kim to arrange a time for a FREE 30 minute zoom call to see if coaching is a fit for your needs.