Rake up some dirt.  Spread a little seed.  Water abundantly.  Watch the grass grow. Would could be easier?

The lawn in my backyard has turned into a battlefield.  Giant craters created by my overzealous Golden Retriever.  Large, brown patches of Lorax-like grickle grass.  And  inexplicable bare spots that nature has forgotten.  Something had to be done!

So, like any suburban homeowner in search of answers, I soldiered on to my local Home Depot.  I loaded up on grass seed, fill dirt, a new sprinkler and a spreader.  Through preparation, hard work, and sheer will, I was determined to reclaim my lawn!

I pulled out the grickle grass.  I filled in the holes.  I raked up the dirt patches.  Then I carefully and painstakingly spread the grass seed.  The stage was set for the greatest comeback in the history of lawn care.

With no rain in the forecast, I got up early and watered the lawn every morning before work.  Then I raced home and continued the watering process every evening.  After three days, there was no growth.  After five days, there was still no movement.  As always, patience is the key to success.  But after nearly 10 days, my lawn was still as barren as a desert.

Now self-doubt started creeping in.  I had tried a similar approach last Spring which ended in failure.  Perhaps this redux was heading for the same fate.  Should I give up on my dream of having a plush lawn?  Should I stop watering the dirt and cut my losses?

We all face similar dilemmas in our work and personal lives.  There are times when we lay out a perfect plan, put in the hard work, and do all the little things right.  But we still don’t see any tangible results from our effort.

How do we stay positive and keep moving forward?

Stay the Course

In our work lives, effort alone doesn’t always translate to success.  We can make hundreds of cold calls but never connect with a prospect.  We can execute the perfect marketing campaign but not attract a single customer.  We can pour our soul into helping a student but not see any marked improvement.  We can layout an ideal game plan but still lose the game.

How do we know when to cut bait when we don’t know how the story will end? We have to have a little bit of faith.  That next call could be your best prospect.   The next marketing campaign could uncover your best customer.  The next session with a student could produce a breakthrough!  The next game could  go your way.

Stay the course.  Persevere.  If it were easy, everyone would taste success.

The World Needs Our Energy

The same is true in our personal lives.  We can dive into a relationship but get no emotional support in return.  We can offer advice to our children but get only blank stares and deep sighs.  We can try to rally our friends for a cause and hear crickets on the other end.   It is tempting to seal up and shut down to the outside world.

But there could be an incredible connection on the other side of that relationship.  Our children could be soaking in our positive message without showing outward signs of approval.  Our friends may be busy but still appreciate our effort.

We can’t afford to fold our tents.  The world needs our energy and optimism!

There Are No Guarantees in Life

But what if things never turn around?  We keep calling and no prospects come.  We keep grinding and no customers appear.  We keep teaching and our students never learn.  We keep strategizing and the losses pile up.  We plunge into a relationship and end up with a broken heart.  We try to guide our children and they end up making the wrong decisions.  We make effort with our friends and then never hear from them.

It’s not easy.  We will all face moments of genuine doubt and pain.    Our incredible effort and brilliant strategy could still lead to failure.  But what is the alternative?

There are no guarantees of success in life.  But if we stop trying and turn negative, we are guaranteed to fail.  And loneliness and frustration will follow.  Does that sound like a recipe for a productive life?

Keep the Faith

I have no idea how my lawn is going to turn out.  I could be wasting valuable time, money and resources.   But status quo is not acceptable.  Giving up will lead to certain failure.  So I am going to keep on watering the seeds, keep on feeding the ground and keep on believing in the possibility of an emerald green lawn. As long as my effort is there, I can live with the downside of failure.

Life is a lot like watching the grass grow.  We put in a lot of sweat and don’t always see the immediate results of our toil.  But we have to keep the faith.

I can almost see those green sprouts punching through the soil now.

Until next week, keep smiling.