We recently redid our front yard. California’s having a drought, and lawns are huge water wasters. Also, I find them unattractive. So we killed the lawn, leaving a few pre-existing bushes and the two trees, conditioned the soil, created some water-retaining features, and planted drought resistant plants, mostly California natives, all of which had uses, either in the kitchen of for my work. At maturity, we estimate 80% coverage.

One of the trees we left in place was a palm tree. Now, I’m not a fan of palms – they are also water wasters and they provide no shade, plus they’re always dropping volunteers, but this palm was too tall to affordably do anything with. I’m going to use it as a trellis for the natal plum I planted in front of it. The challenge is that the palm is dropping seeds all over my newly-conditioned dirt. If I leave it, we’ll soon have a palm forest.

So I’m weeding. Luckily, I find it meditative. Weeding is a lovely metaphor for self-improvement. If you really want to get rid of a pattern, habit, or behavior, you need to dig a little and find the roots and maybe even the seed. It makes sense to spend a little time each day on it, and to keep your focus for that time on a small area, rather than the big picture, which can be overwhelming. Empty your collection bin before it overflows (I see this as talking to a colleague, a spiritual advisor, or a mental health professional, to keep things from piling up and getting overwhelming; it also helps with the “reality check” aspect). And when you’re done, you have happy, aerated soil for new plants/behaviors. Surveying your work and your refreshed space, you experience a sense of accomplishment. If you’re diligent in your work, people may even notice and comment on it, and want to know how you did it.

They’re never really fans of the “hard work, focused effort” answer, though…