9 years ago this morning, I became a parent for the first (and only) time. The last near decade as this little human’s caregiver, guide, and support staff has simultaneously been one of the best things I’ve ever done and easily the most challenging.

If you’ve been around here for a hot minute, you know that I draw business metaphors from all aspects of my life and where I learn the most about my business is from the farm…and my kid. The lessons we learn in one place in our lives, are often lessons we need to learn throughout.

So in honour of the anniversary of the birth of my child, here are 9 lessons I’ve learned:

  1. Be patient. Good things come in time. If you keep working at it, keep using your tools, keep trying, you can do the incredible things you never could even dream of before. Take a breath.

  2. Let go of the outcome. We can’t control every result. Sometimes, the outcome is out of our hands. The best thing to do in the meantime, is enjoy the process as best as possible.

  3. Remain agile. Everything changes. Stay experimental. Sometimes the thing you did that worked before, doesn’t work anymore. Try something new. Find the fun, find the energy, try that. Why not?

  4. Always be learning. Life isn’t stagnant. Go into your next big phase with a beginner’s eye. That way, you get to see the possibilities and potential you wouldn’t have seen if you have made “expert assumptions”.

  5. Resilience is a verb. The resilience you have built inside yourself is because you have been challenged and you have survived. You did that. You can keep doing it. Trying. Striving. Succeeding. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.

  6. Clearly articulate your needs. The clearer and more transparent you can be with yourself about what you need, the more likely you are to be able to find the solution. Get clear. Make the ask. Say please and thank you.

  7. It’s okay to cry. Just as a duck shakes it’s wings, crying is a magical outlet for releasing emotions. It doesn’t matter if they’re happy tears, sad tears, angry tears, frustrated tears, onion tears, let them out. They wash away confusion.

  8. Accept support. Even on the darkest nights, you are not alone. Accept the offered help. And if what they’re offering isn’t right, see #6. And if they haven’t offered, ask.

  9. Laugh, sing, twirl, dance, play…as often as possible. There is the possibility of joy in every moment. Sing out loud. Dance in the grocery store. Be silly. Find the fun. Life is so much better if you let yourself be you.

And one for luck: don’t be afraid to do the hard things. Life is an act of learning. Running a business is an act of learning. The only way you’ll get to your goals is if you take that next one step. One small action. Again and again.

There is magic in your growth. I am grateful to be your witness.