January is the month of “new.” We’ll be bombarded with slogans and advertisements for new plans, new diets or exercise programs and new resolutions. Really, the idea of a new clean start, something fresh, is appealing because there are always things we’d like to do better or try again and hope for a better outcome.
Maybe that’s the common denominator of new things: hope.
Hope is the anticipation of things not yet seen. If we are hoping, then it means something hasn’t happened yet.
Depending on what we are hoping for or hoping in, we may be waiting a long time. Some of the best dreams don’t happen quickly, but they simmer until richness is achieved. Do you know what you’re hoping for this year?
What do you suppose most ranchers hope for? A quick Google search yielded three top possibilities ranchers hope for:
- Profitability
- Healthy grass and land
- Stewardship – especially that pertaining to wildlife and the environment
One of the top concerns under all these headings was: Who will I pass the ranch on to? What will happen to it when I’m gone?
These are big topics. Important topics. In fact, it surprised me that these were the first topics to pop up. I might have suggested a few others, but I imagine these represent a fair number of ranchers.
Being busy can sometimes distract us from these large issues. We are busy trying to keep the cattle grazing on fresh grass, get the calves sold and plan for next year. We are busy day to day. Immediate needs have to be met first, but they ought to be combined with long-term needs.
For me, that’s something that is tricky about hope or new resolutions – combining different aspects. In fact, I make resolutions with the hope that a brand-new me will show up to carry them out. As if the busyness of the holiday season didn’t follow me into the new year.
I don’t mean that as a negative against myself. I mean it is a reality that as soon as the calendar changes into a new year, sometimes I forget that I’m tired from the busyness of the holidays and the end-of-the-year final projects. Maybe what I need to do before making a new plan is rest first, then work on new goals.
Anything new is inevitably built on what is old, whether in part or in full. The commercials may tout a “new you,” but wherever you go, there you are.
Recently, while moving cattle, we gathered pairs from a pasture that had been under pivot. We were taking them to another green pasture, but they first had to cross some dryland pasture that they had already grazed. It was a short move, and once the cattle realized where they were going, they picked up their pace and headed for green pasture and lush living.
Cows are great that way, especially once they get used to pasture rotations and learn the rhythm. It’s like they think, “Oh yeah, we’ve done this before. Let’s head this way, everyone.” They just had to cross the old part first to get to where they needed to go, which they did – as long as they kept looking forward and didn’t get distracted by the dry patch.
Sometimes new resolutions are like this: We plan to achieve the best scenario, but then we hit a dry patch. Do we lie down and forget the goal? I’ve been tempted at times.
With the cows, the older ones tend to teach the younger ones and the new ones how herding works. The younger ones watch the older ones and follow their examples. They follow them into new pastures and model much of their behavior.
So it is with life: Our old expectations influence new living.
This year, as we make our annual plan, adjust our five- and 10-year plans, and look forward to new goals, I hope we hold with equal respect the old plans – even the ones that didn’t work because they, too, provide valuable insight.
If you’re making big plans, like who will take over the ranch, then it’s especially wise to couple past experiences with new hopes. The same can be said for the profitability hope of ranchers. As we look at diversifying streams of income, growing pasture herds or selling off our culls, looking at the old ways of doing things is helpful before jumping into the new. It’s not “Out with the old, in with the new.” It’s “How can we learn from the past and implement new ideas to shift low-productivity spots into higher yields?” The options are there; we just need to uncover our hopes as we look at a new year and trust that we are moving into another green pasture.
