It is officially the summer season, so you know what that means? Garden fresh produce! Although this introduction may seem odd at the beginning of a blog regarding career success, I wanted to uncover some of the intangible secrets that come with having a green thumb.
There were many factors that contributed to my interest in gardening. Not only did I grow up on a farm in rural Nebraska where my dad had a passion for growing produce, but I was also involved in 4-H. Now that I live in a shoebox apartment in the city with not a single square foot of dirt to work with, I find myself reflecting back on my childhood garden and everything it taught me. Beyond the many bushel baskets of vegetables I enjoyed over the years, there have been so many aspects of gardening that I have found to be pillars to success in my career. Here are ten secrets to career success that I found buried in my experience growing a vegetable garden:
- Knowledge – Always ask questions and find a learning opportunity in everything. Understanding life cycles and seasonality will make or break production in the garden just like being aware of your surroundings and always asking ‘why’ will support success in your career.
- Appreciation – Realize all of the beauty around you and how it helps you be successful. I grew up praying for rain (trying to avoid watering everything with a sprinkling can) and thanking my family each and every day for their helping hand in the many facets of garden maintenance. What people, places, or things have positively impacted your success throughout the years?
- Patience – Good things come to those who wait. Obviously I can’t grow a vegetable overnight and likewise, career success doesn’t happen overnight. Be mindful of your experience level, goals, and aspirations and take one step at a time.
- Hard Work – Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work. This secret boils down to keeping up with the ‘daily grind’ each and every day. Without hard work in the garden, nothing grows but weeds. Success in your career will evolve from perseverance and preparation as you work to achieve your goals.
- Dedication – Dedication and commitment are what transfer dreams into realities. This secret goes hand-in-hand with hard work. Having a green thumb requires sizeable investments of both time and money. Planting seeds, pulling weeds, keeping everything watered, and of course, harvesting at the peak of freshness are just a few of the continuous and demanding tasks required to keep a garden prosperous. Career success may call for relocation, after-hours work, or simply believing in the culture of the company. If you’re ‘all-in’ and committed to your career, success will find you!
- Generosity – Share your knowledge and skills with others without expecting anything in return. Did I mention that my garden growing up was about the size of a football field? Yes, seriously. This meant that during harvest time, we had more than enough produce for our small family of four! As a result, our neighbors, family, and friends frequently received baskets of goodies from us. It is important to share your strengths with others. Sharing will bring about moments for teaching, bonding, and perhaps the opportunity for leadership in the future.
- Humility – Stay humble. Just when I thought I would have the best display at the farmer’s market and win the county fair, a Midwest hailstorm was always sure to put me in check. Be proud of your accomplishments, but always recognize each helping hand and token of encouragement that you received along the way. You never know when you’re going to need to be picked up when life gets you down.
- Resourcefulness – Success is sometimes picking up what others leave behind. Who knew that mowing the lawn meant eliminating the need to weed the garden? (Yes, I collected my grass clippings and spread them around the plants in the garden.) Through utilizing all of the resources available at your fingertips and networking with peers, opportunities for success will continuously present themselves. Additionally, being resourceful makes production look good!
- Satisfaction – Personal satisfaction is often the most important secret to success. Preparing a whole meal with ingredients grown in my very own garden is one of my favorite accomplishments to date. (This is where the hard work pays off.) In your career, as soon as you bring a smile across that customer’s face, rehab an athlete to get them back with the team, or achieve that promotion you’ve always wanted, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that each action you’ve taken along the way has been worth it.
- Memories – The best thing about memories is making them. I could write novels on the memories I have with my family out in our garden. Everything from accidentally tilling up my dad’s pea plants (whoops) to spending countless hours pulling weeds and picking beans with my mom. Memories are what we can take with us wherever we go. School and career opportunities bring about so many memories with new experiences and friends. Cherish them, take them with you when you move on, and always think about how they can help you be successful in the future.
Joleen Rupe joined Aureus Medical Group in May 2015 as a Recruiter in the Nursing division. She is now a Student Outreach Coordinator for the Rehab Therapy division. In her free time, Joleen enjoys spending time with family, running, cooking, and baking.