UNTIL IT IS…‍

Here’s a true story.

It’s about a Chinese farmer who planted and nurtured a bamboo tree for five years.

In the first two years of planting, there was no sign of growth.

The next two? Nothing.

In the fifth year of planting, the farmer started to lose hope in his conquest to reap any fortune from his ambitious idea.

One day, on the verge of giving up, he noticed it started to sprout.

Suddenly, in just about five weeks, the plant grew 60 – 90 feet tall.

A miracle?

In the first 4 years, the plant developed a root system that would be the catalyst for its immediate ascent.

But did the bamboo tree grow in five years or just five weeks?

Inconsequential to the results, I think the story highlights a key ingredient to our inevitable success.

Inevitable, only if we deployed the patience necessary to nurture our root systems.

It’s easy to want things by close of business, tomorrow, or our favourite “ASAP”.

But life gets a whole lot easier when we take the time to conquer what’s difficult first.

Sprints are good.

They are effective for the routine tasks and they have their place.

But if we truly want to create change in our businesses and the people we choose to serve, then it’s worth pacing ourselves to run the marathon.

Play the long game. It’s not that attractive. Until it is.