Dear Diary,
This month, I have successfully kept all my plants alive. And it was a really great experience.
In the past, I have not been a very good plant parent. I was pretty bad at knowing how much sun and water each plant needed. I would forget which plants needed more attention, and which one’s needed to be left alone. And usually, towards the end of the month, I would just forget about the plants completely.
But this month was different. I was taking care of friends’ plants and I could not let them down. Not only did I want to prove to myself that I could take care of plants, but I also needed to prove it to my friends.
I was able to keep all of the plants alive and overall healthy by being consistent. I think my inability to take care of plants in the past, was a reflection of my inability to do things consistently. I am a daydreamer and it is very hard to convert thoughts to consistent actions. I always want to do 100 things, and rarely get around to doing them, but when I do, I struggle to be consistent.
By taking care of these plants, I was really forcing myself to make being consistent a habit and a part of my life. While I might be sounding a bit dramatic, through my consistency in taking care of the plants, I was more consistent in taking care of other things. I was consistent in cleaning my apartment, doing the dishes, running daily errands, etc. I found that all the little tasks that always seem to build up and overwhelm me, became so easy. There is nothing hard about watering a plant once a week and checking up on the plant every now and then. Just like it isn’t hard to wash that one glass or put something back where it belongs. But not being consistent with these small tasks and leaving them to the last minute, cost a lot of time and energy, causing unnecessary frustration.
So I am happy that I kept the plants alive. Do I want to have 100 plants in my house now? Not really, I am okay with two or three cute ones. But I am glad I was able to practice consistency.
Love,
Lelani