It is an old metaphor, but I believe it also one which bears some further thought.

Today is one of those slightly grey, slightly damp days here in the UK. As it was dry I decided to don boots and jacket and have a tidy up in the garden. I spend a lot of time chained to a keyboard, tapping away, and an opportunity to be outside is not one to be passed up.

In the summer of 2004 I had a wonderful vegetable garden. In fact, it was so successful we were almost self sustaining for just over 7 months of that year. It was a great feeling. I planned what to plant; I planned when and where to plant and everyday I took action. Everyday, there was a task to be done in that vegetable garden of mine and I did it. The rewards were great - luscious tomatoes, giant cucumbers and courgettes (zucchini), lettuce, calabrese, cauliflowers, potatoes, carrots, onions, fennel, peppers, aubergines (eggplant) all grew in abundance.

Earlier this year I developed a significant health challenge which has prevented me from planting and tending my garden and this afternoon when I went on my tidying spree I was saddened to find the beds overgrown with weeds with not a single sign left of my previous success.

So, why am I choosing to spend my writing time and your reading time on this?

It occurs to me how often our lives can parallel events in my garden. We can choose to plan, take consistent action and, with patience, reap the harvest of rewards that yields or we can choose to distract ourselves with other things and allow weeds to grow instead.

Of one thing you can be sure - your mind will fill itself with something, and if you do not choose to fill your mind with proactive thoughts you will simply provide fertile ground for the weeds of negativity to grow and choke out all other possibilities.

Today, I have tidied up in my garden; I have removed those weeds that were going to stop anything useful growing on my vegetable patch. I have made a plan for the coming months and I have taken action. Those weeds will not have a chance to gain hold this year.

I invite you to do the same with a little mental clearing now.

What metaphoric weeds are occupying your thoughts and preventing you from taking positive action and moving towards the things you want in life?

What clearing needs to be done to free up mental capacity for you to plan and take action?

Are you going to choose what thoughts and things you "grow" this year? Or, are you just going to accept the weeds of negativity and failure that will quickly take root if you do not?