Prune-NOW!

I spent the good part of last Saturday afternoon pruning fruit trees on my parent's property. With my parent's declining health it has become my responsibility to take care of their lawn and property. Mowing their yard had become a HUGE frustration because I am constantly dodging low-hanging limbs and working around dead trees that have weeds and unwanted bushes growing around them.

As I cut, pulled and yanked all the limbs and pieces I kept saying, "I wish I had done this 5 years ago." Granted, my parents would not have been happy with the idea because they hate to see anything cut back, but they would have seen better results over time. In fact, while my dad is against pruning fruit trees, he is very much in favor of pruning grape vines because he knows the benefit. I should have spent some time thinking about how I would position the change before presenting it to them.

Spend a couple moments looking at your work and life today. What are some activities or projects that need some minor pruning today before they grow out of control or inhibit more desirable growth? If you will need the approval or consent of someone else, how could you present it to them in a way they would better understand the value?

Do it NOW-or you might find yourself spending way too much time trying to bring things back under control.