“Things turn out the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out

In Kangundo, Kenya, there are two seasons, rainy and dry. Farmers plow and plant corn during the dry season when the soil is loose and easy to turn. With the corn seeds in the ground, farmers know their crop will germinate when rain falls. Planting in the dry season also ensures that the corn seeds are not unearthed by squirrels because it impossible for them to tell which spots have seeds and which do not when the soil is dry.

This metaphor applies to many aspects of life. When we do things because we are forced to, it is like planting after the rain falls. The soil is heavy, and “social squirrels” may interfere with our progress. Anxiety, panic or illness may set in and curtail our success.

Here are key perspectives to ponder and plant in your dry season.

You must not use past failed “rainfall” or “harvests” as reasons why not to plant. You don’t invest for the past. You invest for the future. Your past failures are successes if you learned the lessons.

Determine the future you expect and invest. Farmers have to determine the harvestthey want whether of corn, beans, or millet, and then plant the seeds. Goals withoutexecutable plans are mere wishes. It has been said that the only place where successcomes before work is in the dictionary. It is also the place where the word harvestingcomes before the investing word. When last did you read a book or attend a workshop onwhat you want to do in the future?

Crops that germinate shortly after rainfall are planted in dry season. To survive and thrive in the present turbulent workplace, one has to prepare with foresight rather than hindsight. Chance favors those who are prepared. It is easier to learn the skills foryour next position while you are at ease with your current one. Unspectacular preparation is the springboard of spectacular performance.

Farmers in areas with erratic rainfall survive by mixed cropping. They plant crops thatcan do well with limited rains and crops that do well with adequate rains. That way theyare promised of some harvest with or without adequate rains. Diversifying yourbusiness, skills and strategies also reaps benefits too.

Find business or professional networks where you can share resources and marketingefforts. If Marriot hotels can partner with Expedia.com to keep people in their hotels,why won’t you find strategic allies?

Faith, believing that your decisions and actions will culminate in a harvest, is the fuelthat keeps you “planting” even when there are no clouds in the horizons.