Planting Ideas That Grow: What Farmers Know About Forgetting

Philosophy in Gum Boots (PIG) | Personal Development for Just Anyone

Planting Ideas That Grow: What Farmers Know About Forgetting

Imagine planting a seed and walking away, expecting a harvest without tending the soil. Sounds foolish, right? But that’s exactly how many of us treat personal development. We hear a great motivational quote, repeat an affirmation once or twice, and hope for lasting transformation.

But just like in farming, growth doesn’t happen without care and repetition. Enter the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve—the mental equivalent of soil that dries out if we don’t water it.

What is the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve?

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered in 1885 that we forget new information at an alarming rate—up to 70% within 24 hours, and most of it gone within a week if we don’t revisit it (Ebbinghaus, 1885). Think of it as planting seeds in a dry field: without follow-up watering, the growth just won’t happen.

Life Philosophy Design: Tending the Mental Garden

In Life Philosophy Design, you're not just learning something new—you're replanting your inner landscape. Whether you’re building self-confidence, letting go of old habits, or embracing new beliefs, it’s not enough to toss a few seeds of thought into your mind and hope for the best.

To actually grow a life philosophy, you have to work the land: water it (repetition), feed it (reflection), and weed it (challenge limiting beliefs).

How to Farm New Thoughts (Instead of Letting Them Die)

Here’s how to use the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve in your personal development—like a farmer would:

• Daily Affirmations = Daily Watering - Don’t just plant the idea that “I am capable.” Water it every morning. Let it soak in and take root.

• Revisit Motivational Quotes = Sunlight Exposure - Quotes that uplift you are like the sun—without them, your mental garden gets cold and stagnant. Reread them weekly.

• Reflective Journaling = Fertilizing the Soil After a powerful coaching session or self-help book, write down your takeaways. Then revisit those notes after a few days—this enriches the soil.

• Spaced Repetition = Rotating Crops Don’t go over the same thoughts every day—space them out strategically so they grow deeper, not just taller.

No Harvest Without Habit

A good farmer knows that hope isn’t a strategy. Neither is inspiration without structure. If you want new thinking to bear fruit in your life, you’ve got to tend to it with intention.

The Ebbinghaus Curve teaches us that forgetting is natural—but so is growth, if you follow the rhythms. Your mindset is a field. Your beliefs are seeds. What you nurture, grows.

If you need help starting designing your inner garden and build a mindset that thrives, visit Life Philosophy Design.

Reference:Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie [Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology]. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot.