It occurred to me, somewhere around 12:30, and lap 2,642 (who’m I kidding? I haven’t been counting), that haying is a good analogy for strategic planning /  life: 

There’s a map of major milestones. Goals. A picture of the desired end state. A set of ideal or best practices. And, of course metrics. Because it’s wise to know if / when you’re winning. 

But a good deal of what *actually* happens is that you make it up in the middle bit. Read the field. Figure it out.  The probability you stink at it, in the beginning, the first few laps around the field, as it were, is high. But you will, in fact, get better with practice. 

Sometimes you make a mess of it. We won’t discuss what my first few corners looked like. But, there’s nearly always a chance to look back over what you’ve done and clean it up. Sometimes cleanup is easy, with the tractor, and sometimes it requires a pitchfork. 

You should never pass up an opportunity to take a break and go schwimming. This ranks with always leaving room for dessert. 

The right tools are important. And you should have them handy before you start. When you’re in the middle of the work, when something’s busted, that’s the wrong time to figure out you need parts. Sunscreen is ALWAYS a good idea. Never run out of WD40. 

Sometimes you need help. It’s wise to know when to ask for it. And good business to know when you need to pay other people to do it for you. Pretty certain I will never own my own baler. I will always have a Baler. 

Sometimes the field is thick. Other times it’s thin. Make the best of it whatever. 

In short, make hay while the sun shines.