Stop Hunting, Start Farming

A business phrase I’ve heard before is “be a farmer, not a hunter.” Here’s a quick story that exemplifies what that means:

Person X was focused only on big wins.

Big clients. Big deals. Big moments.

They’d grind for weeks trying to land one opportunity. Sometimes they’d get it. Most of the time, not.

When they did, it felt great for a minute.

Then it was back to zero.

A year later, nothing really changed. Same stress. Same inconsistency.

So they shifted their view of their work.

They stopped hunting big deals, and they started farming.

Instead of chasing the next big thing, they focused on the people already around them. Cultivated relationships. Followed up more. Did small things well. Stayed in touch. Kept showing up.

Nothing dramatic happened at first.

Then a few referrals came in.

Then a few more.

Then the work started stacking up.

No big spike. Just steady growth. Nothing crazy.

At some point, they said, “This feels slower… but it actually isn’t.”

That’s the trap.

Hunting feels productive because it’s intense.

Farming works because it compounds.

High performance isn’t about chasing. It’s about tending to what's important. The details.

The daily routines. The small wins.

Focus on being a farmer today.