A Harvest Isn't Always What You Planted
I was 29 when I started my (then) registered investment advisory firm — now a human-centered coaching and speaking practice that helps high-earning professionals, business owners, and organizations explore the intersection of money, behavior, and life.
In hindsight, I can admit that back then I had more hubris than I probably should have for the undertaking before me — and not nearly enough wisdom to fully understand that “hard work” doesn’t always equal “success.”
Let’s Talk About Hard Work
Growing up one of the many messages I got from my mother and other elders in my life: “You have to work twice as hard…” IFYKYK
Excellence, diligence, and discipline went hand-in-hand with “hard work.” Not only was that the messaging I got at home, it overlapped with the cultural and societal messaging about who was successful and what it took to be so — often skipping over the role of access, privilege, and systemic barriers.
It didn’t help that this mindset permeated throughout the financial industry — especially at institutions like where I worked and where leaving the office at 11pm (or later) was considered a badge of honor.
I didn’t realize how deeply I held onto this belief until a coach I worked with in the ‘90s asked me:
“So, are you saying you don’t deserve it because it was easy for you?”
I had just shared that I’d earned $10,000 for something that took me only four hours to create and it felt…weird.
He was the first person to ever suggest that what you earn doesn’t have to be tied to how “hard” you work.
And, I’ve been interrogating my relationship with what “hard work” means ever since.
Is “hard” a reflection of complexity or intensity?
Is it time-bound — connected to how long something takes to complete?
Is it a concatenation of all of these elements?
Or, is it something else entirely?
What does “hard work” mean to you?
I ask because recently, I was on your screen asking if you’ve ever worked hard, done ‘all the right things,’ and still missed the mark?
I brought it up then and am doing so now because sometimes the outcomes (financial, business, personal) don’t match the seeds you and I thought we planted.
Process > (Rigid) Plan
Nature never forces its timeline — it follows a rhythm, not rigidity. And our own “harvests” work in much the same way.
Fall is definitely upon us here in the northeast. And as I consider a day-trip of apple picking, I’m thinking about harvesting.
Just as a harvest unfolds in nature through a process — sunlight, rain, timing, care — the “harvest” you and I experience unfolds through our own process of choices, timing, and the systems we move within.
Sometimes, the “fruits” you gather look exactly like what you imagined when you set your goals.
Other times — and more often — what shows up is smaller, slower to ripen, or entirely different from what you planted. And that can be frustrating, especially when you’ve worked diligently and done “all the right things.”
But harvests are honest; they show you and me the truth of what’s taken root, not just what we hoped would.
As best I can tell, nature doesn’t judge harvests — there’s no that was a “good” or “bad” harvest.
I believe the human version of that is in the form of not judging our harvest's results as “good” or “bad.” And also not rushing past the results — instead pausing to examine them vis-a-vis questions, like:
What came to fruition this year that you’re proud of?
What never quite sprouted, and why?
What might you need to prune, replant, or nurture differently next season?
That’s the quiet wisdom of this time of year — reflection before replanting. And if you’re willing to see your current outcomes not as verdicts, but as information, you can use that insight to shape what comes next: new goals, adjusted expectations, or a refreshed process altogether.
This is an exercise I’m actively engaged in myself — with my business and my money.
Because while you and I can’t always control what grows, we can absolutely tend to the conditions that make thriving more likely.
As you reflect on what you’re harvesting right now — in your work, your business, or your money — it might be worth asking: What part of your process needs tending next?
That’s the kind of question I help my clients explore. And if a full coaching engagement is not the right fit for you right now, book a 90-minute Clarity Session [click here]. I’d love to help you figure out what comes next!
About Jacquette
I love to ask questions and spark aha moments. I love to talk about why success with money is about more than just the numbers, and how the cultural impact on the intersection of money, business, and life matters–A LOT! And, I really hope I help people feel seen, heard, and not judged—especially since money is emotional and personal.
