Welcome to the final week of the On Pasture Virtual Conference.
For me, the best part of a going to any conference is the opportunity to shake my brain out of it’s rut of same-old, same-old thinking by considering some new, even unusual ideas. So that’s what this virtual conference has been all about: giving your brain something to chew on as you go about your daily routine. In Week One, we gave you some ideas about reconsidering the “bigger is better” paradigm from two graziers rethinking all the busyness that came with their expansion. Of course, what’s important to you when it comes to the “right-sizing” discussion depends on what your overall vision for your life is. So, in Week Two, we gave you some tools for working out your own vision for your future.
This week we’re finishing up with examples and input from farmers and ranchers who took the next step: working on goals that get you where you want to be.
We start with Don Ashford. Don has two very basic goals that we can all benefit from.
Next up is Troy Bishopp. Troy revisits his vision for his farm and family, and then gives some great examples of the kinds of grazing goals get him there – from figuring out when calving happens, to what he needs to do to make more family time.
Before You Graze, Know Your Goals: What Are You Doing? Why Are You Doing It?
Dallas Mount gives us 5 questions we can ask and answer that will help us focus on what we want to achieve.
Finally, I turn it over to John Marble who says, “I was never all that enthralled with Mission Statements or Vision Statements, but eventually I did come up with a general goal: I wanted to build a ranch that was “economically viable and ecologically sustainable.” I like this as a final piece of our conference because it shows how I think many of us operate and are successful: We have something in our hearts and minds that drives our decisions and moves us to success, even if we don’t think of it as a vision.
Looking Back, Looking Forward – Lessons from a Lifetime as a Grazier
And the Funnies
I hope you’ve enjoyed the virtual conference and that you’re thinking about how to incorporate some of these thoughts into what you’re doing. Also, I’m working with Jenn Colby on a fun, online workshop to take us on a “vision quest” of sorts. So stay tuned!
