Grazing review

It’s time for your annual grazing review – but don’t just focus on the number-crunching and how much grass you grew this year or identifying the worst paddocks to earmark them for a spring reseed.

Think about how grazed grass fits into the whole farm business plan. How much money did it really save you this year? Where does it impact staff motivation and recognition for a job well done? And what kind of year has it been in terms of your five-year average?

Follow our checklist below to guide you through a full analysis, celebrate the high points and come up with a plan to tackle the weak spots next season:

•  What did you achieve? Write down everything you can think of (large or small). Realising how much you did achieve helps you realise what you are capable of!
• What have you learnt this year? What can you learn from the good bits and the mistakes? (But don’t dwell on misfortunes – all successful people make mistakes.)
• What do you want to achieve next year?
• What are you doing that is stopping you? This makes you think about things you are doing that will prevent you from reaching your goals: is it views about yourself (I can’t!) or assumptions about other people (they won’t), or a lack of skills?
• Break your goals down into stages and work out what you specifically need to do (and when) – and remember SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed
• Make a plan – success is 80% planning and 20% doing
• Set goals that stretch but don’t strain
• Get stuck in!