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Now that we have the start of our own little urban farm, there’s a lot more stickiness in our lives.
What do I mean by stickiness, and more importantly, how can you create more of your own?
Stickiness is a term used frequently in the tech world. A product or service with longevity, one that intermingles well with others in an existing ecosystem, and provides high value to those who use it.
Let me share a quick example of what I mean:
Rewind to our living situation in LA which felt a bit more transactional.
Chad and I lived in a small apartment and had little personal ties to the space. We paid rent, came and went and moved around every few years. I personally didn't mind apartment living, I enjoyed the freedom to come and go without the responsibility of a mortgage and heavy debt, so there are definitely two sides to this coin.
Chad tolerated apartment living, but always had a vision to own property and build long term wealth. We got really freaking lucky finding this property, a diamond in the rough, right place right time, and I share that because we had to wait patiently for our turn and it wasn't always easy.
Fast forward to Teaquila Farm, Chad and I have started to write our own story in stone, literally.
We tore up old flooring and laid down fresh, colorful tile. We knocked out walls and invited in more natural light. Once phase I of the house remodel was finished and we could switch our attention to the land, we started growing our own food and digging into a more intentional lifestyle.
Planting our own garden has been a big part of stickiness this past year, and I don't see that going away anytime soon.
But Stacie, how does gardening create stickiness?
I see gardening as an activity or lifestyle practice that has longevity, and positivly impacts many aspects of my life. I've written several posts on gardening, but below is a quick bulleted recap if you're new to the blog or still wrapping your head around how my crazy brain works.
Gardening + Stickiness:
Gardening doesn't have to be your definition of stickiness, I'm sharing mine because this is what is center stage for us currently, and that may change in the future.
Some folks reading this may be raising a family, so you likely have your own version of stickiness (cotton candy fingers, perhaps?) and you wouldn’t trade that for the world! Maybe stickiness means traveling the world with no ties or responsibilities and the freedom to do so.
Whatever it is, don't compare yours to anyone else's, just find what feels right for you.
For me, aside from gardening my other restorative activities include:
Instead of feeling like the things on this list are a burden, I look at them as a way to slow down and sink my teeth into the goodness we are crafting and refining. Notice the words 'crafting and refining' are working adjectives since this continues to be a work in progress and could take a lifetime to 'finish.'
If time and money were no issue, what would you do more of? These 5 blank slots below are reserved for you.
Ready?
Set your timer for 5 minutes. This exercise may take you 30 seconds, or it may take you the full 5 minutes depending on where your headspace is at today. Start by spending a few minutes thinking about things that bring joy into your own life, and then write down your own list.
It's mission critical to write / type it out vs. just thinking it in your head.
That wasn't so difficult was it?
This shouldn't be a difficult exercise, so hopefully you had no problem thinking about 5 things that restore you, and areas to create long term longevity and stickiness.
Is it creating a playlist of your favorite music?
Maybe it's drawing, sketching, or painting. Or maybe you prefer moving your body and jotted down hiking, surfing or ping pong.
I totally can't relate to this next one, but perhaps it's cooking or baking!!?
In closing, if you feel inclined to share your ideas after you moved through this stickiness exercise, please reply to this email and let me know what made your list! I get endless inspiration from this community and love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading, cheers to more stickiness,
Stacie & Chad
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