Low Hanging Fruit
The urban dictionary defines ‘low hanging fruit’ as targets or goals which are easily achievable
and which do not require a lot of effort. For many, success in the
short-term means going after the low hanging fruit. But this has nothing to do
with actually picking fruit.
We’ve got two giant olive trees: the more we prune them the
bigger they get, and unless we spray them in the early spring they eventually
fill up with olives. We didn’t spray
them this year and they…. filled up with fruit.
Picking the ripe olives seemed like a good idea, but then we got out the
ladder. There was low hanging fruit all
right, but that got picked quickly: and once you start on something like this
you can’t help wanting to go after the higher hanging fruit.
Think about all the problems you’ve had to solve and the projects
that needed finishing: just because you can and do work thru the simplest and
easiest (as in: lowest) things first doesn’t mean you still don’t have to
figure out how to go after or finish the rest. And picking only the lowest
hanging easy stuff often doesn’t justify all the work it takes to get started: that’s
when you want to want to do more.
We thought that shaking the trees would make the olives
fall: forget that – these trees are huge and the ripe olives are securely
attached to the branches. When we were
sitting and looking at the trees we thought we could see most of the olives:
but when we went up into the tree there were far more than we ever anticipated.
Most things we tackle in life are like that: they’re usually bigger and more
complex than we thought and, once started, it takes far more effort than
originally imagined. Going beyond the
low hanging easy stuff means better research and planning before you start, having
the right tools for the job, and designing reasonable goals that can be
measured and achieved.
In things like this there are two choices: either (1) read
everything you can find on the Internet, talk to others who have done this
before, and take time to make a play, or (2) wait until after you’ve done
something for the first time to learn what you need to know. Actually, doing both is the right way to
proceed: plan wisely and learn from your first efforts: it’s not easy to get
started, and it’s usually harder to finish.
So, stop thinking only about the low hanging fruit: know
what you want to do, find out everything you need to know, go into it with a
good attitude, remain flexible and open to learning and changing, and remember
to have fun. Those are the lessons we learned when picking our olives. Done
right, you’ll get all the fruit you want.
My message this week is about figuring out how to go higher
and do better:
“Life is
what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” Allen Saunders
How good are you at
making plans and keeping them. Life has a way of getting in between you and
your plans: conditions change, circumstances change, people change, and
interests change. Flexibility is the
best defense against the many things that can and do change: when that happens,
be sure to weigh your alternate options, be smart, use common sense and adapt
appropriately. Try not to get so
invested in what you’re doing that the changes that do occur make you nuts:
focus on what’s happening, make a commitment, and do your best. Don’t fight change: view it as an opportunity
to get involved in something different. Others will most likely be watching as
you consider the options: stalling, resisting or complaining can be disruptive;
but active and supportive involvement will make you a role model. Life is
short: learn to make plans and also live your life today!
Stay well!
