It takes a village – almost literally – to maintain the gardens around my house. It’s my fault (mostly). I had grand visions of botanical gardens running through my head each spring so I kept adding to the beds until the beds overtook me.

And then I had kids. I kept up the beds until the third one arrived. After him, a series of life events got in the way and before I knew it I had a garden of gigantic weeds with root systems that apparently hold the world together. Think Boaboa trees (from the Little Prince, not from Southern Africa)!

For the last several years I have had the mindset to get things back under control. It seems it’s easier to make the beds than it is to reclaim the beds. I do what feels like a lot, turn around, and it’s actually less than a little. When you are talking acres of beds, five feet of clearing and cleaning don’t make that much difference.

Besides, I couldn’t get anyone else to help me. Nobody would get the tiller running so I could keep the weeds out of the beds I did clean. Nobody would use the chainsaw to cut down the weeds that conventionally clippers couldn’t touch. Nobody would help me with the tasks that needed to be done just to make room for the tasks that had to be done.

Nobody looks suspiciously like my husband.

Last weekend, I had a mind shift in what I was doing for my business which lead to the launching of Stuck Writers. Apparently, dealing with stuckness in one area gave way for other areas because I started the week in the garden and am making a little progress every day. I have determined that if I only get five feet cleared then I will just keep that five feet of garden looking as amazing as possible all year long.

Yesterday, I hit upon something that I would never have considered before. What if I could launch a whole new garden with less work than it takes to reclaim the old one. So, I jumped on the tractor and went to experiment.

It’s not a perfect plan, but I said that before I set my flower beds on fire the first spring I gave that a go. The benefits of digging up and starting over is that I’m not restricted by what was. I have the freedom to do or to be whatever I decide.

So, let me ask you this, where are you stuck?

What part of your life, your home, your garden, is just sitting there getting bigger and bigger weeds because you are stuck in a rut of what to do next?

Getting Unstuck

• Dare to do something – because something is more than nothing.

• Don’t wait for others – you are all you need to take your step. Others may be needed for other parts, but you are only in charge of yours.

• Start RIGHT now – and I mean right now – or at least as soon as you are finished with this article. Take one step (no matter how small) and get moving.

No matter how big the mountain or how deep the pit, you can get there. You start with the first step and then you add to that one step one step at a time.

Don’t stay stuck. Take your step!

The Mom