Guest Blog by Don Campbell
Today I want to discuss three questions: What is Holistic Management? What are the benefits of Holistic Management? Who can benefit from Holistic Management?
What is Holistic Management?
Holistic Management is a decision-making process. Holistic Management is designed to help us make decisions that are simultaneously socially, environmentally and financially sound. Or in rancher talk, Holistic Management helps us care for our people, improve our land and make a profit. These three areas are all vitally important. We can’t sacrifice one for another. Holistic Management helps us have balance; it allows us to make progress in all three areas.
I invite you to stop and reflect for a moment. If we don’t work and achieve success in all three areas is there any hope of us achieving long term success? I suggest that the answer is no. I have often told people that if I help you grow the best grass in your area and you don’t tie it to your finances you won’t be successful. If you grow the best grass and tie it to your finances but neglect your people you won’t be successful. The only possible way to be successful (something we all desire) is to create success in all three areas. As individuals we should settle for nothing less. Holistic Management can help us achieve this.
Holistic Management offers us many tools to achieve our dreams. I will touch on these in future blogs.
What are the Benefits of Holistic Management?
When I summarize the benefits I have seen in my life and the benefits I have seen in people I have worked, with the list looks something like this:
The first benefit is that people who are using Holistic Management have a better quality of life. This is amazing but even more important these same people have the belief that life isn’t happening to them, they are creating the future that they desire. They feel that they are in charge of their lives. This is priceless.
The second benefit is that the health of the land is improving. This means that there is an increase in production from a set land base. This is achieved by a change in management not by buying inputs. Many people have doubled their grass production.
The third benefit which comes directly from healthier land is lower costs and increased profits. If you reflect, I am confident you will see the immense impact healthier land has.
The fourth benefit is the ability to have more animals or the have the same number of animals grazed for a long period of time. Each individual will choose what is best for them and their unique operation.
The fifth benefit is there will be less work required to operate the business. This benefit occurs naturally when we begin to see nature as our ally not our enemy. Working with nature is easier and more enjoyable than working against nature.
I invite you to reflect on these benefits. If you are new to Holistic Management would these benefits be of interest to you? If so, you might consider taking a course and starting on your journey to a better life. If you have been using Holistic Management you might ask yourself: am I achieving these benefits? If you are not satisfied with your results you might consider increasing your commitment to Holistic Management. Remember Holistic Management is a tested and proven process. Your success is tied to your application of the principles.
Who Can Benefit From Holistic Management?
The third question was who can benefit from Holistic Management? My answer is not everyone, only people who make decisions in their lives. The last time I looked that would include all of us.
I have enjoyed all the benefits listed above. However, I want to get more personal about what Holistic Management has helped me achieve. Holistic Management helped me become a lifelong learner. Somewhere along the road I began to realize that where I am today is a direct result of the past decisions that I have made. If I want to improve my position, I need to make better decisions. The main obstacle between me and a better life is me. I suspect that this may be true in your life also. This was rather a sobering thought when is first occurred to me. Over time I have accepted this as being true. I now see this as being liberating. I can improve my life by improving myself. I am responsible. I can make it happen.
I can improve myself by the thoughts I think, by the people I associate with and by the books I read. All of these are in my control. I have worked at self-improvement for the last 30 years. I admit that is has been a slow painful process. The good news is that I am making progress. I am a better person than I used to be. I am not as good as I will be. Please note that I am not talking about how good I am only that I am better than I used to be.
Don Campbell can be reached at: doncampbell@sasktel.net
I challenge you to live your dream. Holistic Management can help you do this.
Happy Trails
Don