4 things I wish I knew in my 20's...
At the ripe old age of 38 (yes, I know - hard to believe as I don't look a day over 25!) there is a lot of stuff I know now that I wish I'd known in in my 20's.
And it's only with the benefit of hindsight that I can say this. So here are 4 things I would tell my 20 year old self about farming.
(Number 4 was the most difficult for me)
- Don’t be too sentimental - there is always a lot of emotion attached to where you call 'home' and a desire for it to remain unchanged. But farming is always changing and so what worked for your dads generation may not work for you. Don’t let emotion rule over logic and don’t be scared to change.
- You have to love what you do to succeed - this sounds obvious but you’d be amazed at how many people ignore it. Farming is bloody hard work so if you don’t enjoy it, it's incredibly difficult to succeed. Personally, I hated milking dairy cows and I was never going to succeed at it. And that’s fine. You shouldn’t feel obliged to do what you don’t enjoy. Don't give in to the sense of duty and follow your own passions.
- Comparison is the thief of happiness - From my experience, this is endemic in farming and holds so many people back. Stop looking over the fence or worrying about what others are doing. Focus on your definition of success and ignore the rest.
- Don’t concern yourself with what others think - only now can I admit that this plagued me for years. I left farming for 10 years to pursue other interests and I found it incredibly difficult when people would ask “when are you coming home to take over the farm”. I now realise that those people were relics from a bygone age stuck in their ways and unable to change. Looking back I shouldn't have given it any thought at all.
I'm sure there are plenty more you'd like to add based on your own experience and there a ton more I could add but I won't. What's important is that we are always learning from our experiences and never make the same mistake twice.
One book I would recommend is the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. It might give you some clarity on the above.
Until next week...….