Now, with the help of Farmstrong, he’s spreading the word about what farmers can do to overcome the daily grind.
King runs a successful 1000 hectare farm at Porangahau with 4000 ewes, 1200 hoggets and a few hundred heifers.
He’s recently added deer into the mix for a fresh challenge.
Like most farmers King’s had his share of ups and downs over the past 18 years. The area can be prone to drought.
But it wasn’t Mother Nature that got the better of him a few years back. It was the mundane, repetitive aspects of the job taking a toll.
“I realised I’d lost my passion and motivation.
“A lot of the development work on my farm was done and I was over the daily grind of it all. The everyday stuff felt more and more like a hassle.
“I was bored.
“The trouble with farming is that it’s not like other jobs. You’ve got so much invested in the operation you can’t just move on. You also live where you work and often place a lot of pressure and expectations on yourself.”
King realised a change was essential and enrolled in a Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.
“Doing the Kellogg programme was a game changer for me.
“It reset my mojo.
“It took me away from my business and made me examine what makes me tick and what I wanted out of farming. It helped me rediscover the passion and purpose for what I was doing.”
For his research project King explored whether groundhog day is an issue for other farmers.
It turned out it is.
“Of the 86 farmers I contacted, 70% had similar concerns about the daily grind. That was a real heads-up and convinced me it was a topic worthy of discussion.”
During his study King also discovered a phenomenon among entrepreneurs called the boredom of success.
Years of hard work and perseverance often lie behind flourishing enterprises. The challenge for entrepreneurs and farmers alike is to shape their work in a way that rewards rather than punishes their passion and commitment.
Once the penny dropped King took practical steps to get greater balance and enjoyment back in his own farming life.
He focused on the parts of the job he liked and delegated the bits he didn’t. He took more time to enjoy his work and his farm, started new projects and scheduled more time off farm.
It worked.
“I’m far, far happier these days. I’m more energised and focused and I reckon I make better business decisions as a result.
“I’ve realised there are lots of different ways I can do this job to keep it interesting. I’m not restricted to just breeding cows and sheep on this property.
“So now we’ve got 150 hectares for deer.
“I’m also setting up an advisory board to get fresh perspectives and make our operation more accountable. I’m the sort of person who needs new projects and challenges to stay fresh and stimulated.”
King also recommends the Five Ways to Wellbeing promoted by Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock.
The five habits – keeping active, giving back to the community, staying connected with mates, learning new things and taking time to notice and enjoy simple pleasures – are common among those who thrive.
“The trick is to just make them part of your everyday life. That’s what I like about Farmstrong. It’s not ambulance at the bottom of the cliff stuff. It’s just a way of making your working life a whole lot better.”
King says changing traditional attitudes towards wellbeing in the industry remains a challenge.
“A lot of rural people just tough it out. It’s the way we’ve been born and bred – don’t complain, just get on and get it done. But when your wellbeing and motivation start to affect your business it needs to be addressed. You’ve got to be true to yourself.
“Farming doesn’t have to be like groundhog day – wake up, let the dogs off and do the same thing every day, 24/7, 30 days a month. If you’re not happy, chat with your wife, yak with a mate. Make doing something about it a priority. That was the most important thing I did.”
MORE: www.farmstrong.co.nz
