I’m not a fan of change, but a fan or not, change is inevitable. My kids have literally changed right in front of my eyes – growing taller than me, learning to drive tractors, skidloaders and automobiles, all while searching for their next chapter in life. I still remember them needing me to tie their shoes and cut their food. To my dismay, they grew in a blink of an eye.
When we go out to dinner, I’m known to order the same steak dinner. Despite having hundreds of choices. When we watch television in the evenings, my husband and I go to the same 90s sitcom reruns. We like to know what to expect.
One thing we should realize to expect is that change comes whether we like it or not. Most people fear change, yet it has been said to be the only real constant in life.
When we look at our farming operations, we can see change all around us. Dairies have grown larger and more productive, become more diversified and grown more technological-advanced. None of this would have been possible without changing how we manage and care for our cattle, land and employees.
I came across this quote by Lao Tzu that struck a chord with me. “If you do not change direction, you might end up where you are heading.” Pause and let that one sink in.
Perhaps John F. Kenney said it best when he said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.”
Push Pause
I certainly get it. The to-do list on a dairy never seems to get all crossed off before sunset. Many days we just keep busy doing what needs to be done. That it is hard to think about what our dairy operations could look like three to five years from now. Consider moving one thing on your to-do list off for another day and push pause to make time to talk about the future of your dairy. Bring in your outside team members, like your veterinarian, nutritionist, lender and other key people to help you talk about opportunities on the horizon and how to overcome the challenges your farm and our industry faces.
Change doesn’t have to feel like the life you once knew and have come to love is gone. But taking small steps to change how you lead and manage your farm could be the dividing line in those dairy operations that move forward and those that don’t. Simply stated, it could spell the difference between those farms that get passed onto the next generation and those that don’t.
Be open to change, you just never know how far it can take you.
