About 4 years ago I went into an acupuncturist’s office and he said I needed to slow down. “Yeah, ok.  Well how am I supposed to grow and build the empire I want to build while doing that?”

I decided to grow my business on the fast track pre-pandemic. I hired coaches, advisors, and other credible professionals on how to make that happen. They were all great and taught me things which I still use to this day. 

However, there was a missing question along the way, which was, “Is this level of growth sustainable?” 

So much of what we are being told and sold is around “accelerating growth.” For many entrepreneurs, leaders, and general “high achieving humans,” this is nectar to the ears. We want to change the world, do something big, and we want to do it NOW. We want it all to be running smoothly NOW. 

And so we reach for the ways we can make that happen. And I sure did.

However, I learned some valuable lessons that I want to share with you. One of them is that faster isn’t always better. In fact, doing that can actually be the top culprit of what inhibits the growth of our business or creations. Not to mention, that pressure and pace can be extremely taxing on the nervous system.

Now, there is inherently nothing wrong with “faster.” I’m generally a more fast-paced human, doesn’t make things better inherently. However, what I’ve come to learn is that organic growth, regardless of the speed, is the sure way to sustainable growth and success.

Oftentimes what happens is we want the tree without planting and tending to the seed. 

With 2024 around the corner, we are planning our goals and visions. The invitation I have is to organically cultivate your growth and goals without forcing them to happen. Think of what you want to grow in the new year. Now, think of that thing as a seed, or a sprout, or small tree depending on how you view its level of maturation. 

A creation needs time, energy, and resources to grow. Also, different creations have different timelines. Not everything is meant to grow super fast, and with that, you aren’t doing anything wrong if your process seems “slow.” Organic growth respects the process from beginning to maturation, and allows for ease and flow in that process.

Going back to my attempt to accelerate growth… Yeah, it backfired. Nothing about it was organic. I worked so hard to make it all happen that I hit a wall of burnout head-on, which in turn slowed me down to the point where I struggled to keep up with the basics of the business, let alone the extras. UGH. I was so frustrated and fatigued, it was unreal!

Since that process, I’ve really started to appreciate “cultivating” the creation, whatever that is. In this case, it is my business. I want things to start off as the seeds they are. Then I need to till the soil, water it, give it sunlight, and most importantly, give it TIME (my least favorite). Let your creation grow by giving it EXACTLY what it needs. In turn, you give yourself what you need, and watch how that all unfolds.

There are 3 steps I follow to cultivate a more organic growth process with your creation cultivation:

1. Plant in Alignment– The first step is to align, which means to be in line with what’s most true and authentic for you. The seeds you’re planting need to be in alignment with your highest authenticity, or else what you plan on growing is going to be out of integrity with you. 
2. Surrender to the Process- This word is often misunderstood. Surrender doesn’t mean give up, it means “give over.” Once you give over the process to do its thing, you can be free to let it grow. 
3. Grow with Patience- Patience is such an underrated skill, and our levels of suffering would decrease immensely the more we learn to be patient in the growth process. 

I honestly cannot believe how things have grown by slowing down and following an organic process versus what I was doing before. Some things are still small and in their “seedling” phase, and other things have started to sprout. All I can say is the process has become infinitely more fun, I have way more energy, and more mental freedom as I am no longer worrying about “when.”

As you enter 2024, ask yourself, “What’s growing organically, and where am I trying to force the outcome?” This allows the space to self-assess, and the opportunity to apply the 3 steps of creation cultivation to your process so you can have more sustainable growth in your life.