The Chinese Bamboo Tree

Most trees grow in a similar fashion. Once their seedling takes hold, they grow at a steady rate. But the Chinese bamboo tree is unlike any other. For the first 4 years of its life, it doesn’t sprout. Not even one leaf emerges above the surface of the soil. Then in its 5th year, something amazing happens. It shoots up 90 feet in just 5 weeks.

Now the question I ask you is what can we attribute to the bamboo’s 90 feet of growth? Is it just the 5 weeks of growth or is it the full 5 years of effort?

The answer is obvious to us but sometimes it’s not as clear in our own lives.

Take a look at a goal you’re working toward. For me its a career in professional golf while for you it may be receiving a high score on the MCATs, graduating from law school, or figuring out your future career. Regardless of the pursuit, we can all relate to the frustration and anger that can be associated with a lack of growth/forward momentum.

We find ourselves in a plateau or even worse, feel that we’re are sliding backward in our progress. This is where the metaphor of the Chinese bamboo is important. When we look to those that we admire in business, sports, and life, we see the success that they have achieved. What we don’t see is all of the hours of hard work where they kept grinding away at their craft.

These plateaus are something we all face. To paraphrase George Leonard’s Mastery, all significant learning is composed of brief spurts of progress followed by long periods of work where it feels as if you’re going nowhere. It is important during these times not to lose hope or to stop the effort that you are putting in. This is when to dig your heels in and continue to study, practice, and work on your craft with an inner resolve that you know success awaits for you.

Step 1: Create a Game Plan

If I placed you in front of a pile of legos and told you to build what you thought the pieces created, you might have some issues. Then if I gave you the box with a picture of what to build, you would have a better idea but there would still be some pieces that would leave you scratching your head. It’s not until I gave you the instructions that it would make sense. For us to achieve a goal, we need to do the same.

In the case of the bamboo tree, the plan is to plant it, water it, and give it access to sunlight. We must do the same to ensure success in our own lives. Do your research and look back on what has worked best for you. This may be leaving your phone in another room to stay focused or meditating each morning so you’re more attentive to the task at hand.

I’ve determined my biggest game changers over the last two years have been meditation, visualization, journaling, and positive self-talk/affirmation. I have times set out in the morning, afternoon, and night to do all of these. Without understanding what tools or habits have led to or will lead you to success, it’s impossible to hit your target.

Step 2: Faith and Patience

These two are going to be what holds the plan all together. Sometimes it feels like what I’m practicing isn’t working. My scores won’t improve like I thought they would and I start to think I need to change the strategy.

For example today, I held a competition with myself from inside 120 yards with a combination of par 3’s and 2’s. I had nowhere near the ball striking or chipping that I have been used to recently but nonetheless I was still scoring well. Had I chosen to focus on what went wrong today I would have easily missed everything that went well. The mental routines and focus improved throughout the round and I choose to have faith and be patient for the results to arrive. They will come to you too.

As you now take the time to look at your life, be honest and upfront with what is working and what isn’t. You’ll get an answer very easily of what isn’t (for me that’s watching Netflix and reaching for my phone) but the tools to success can only be found through trial and error. Failure is going to lead you to where you want to be.

If you pay attention, you’ll soon see what these failures are trying to teach you and you’ll be one step closer to finding what works. Be patient and trust the process. Just like the bamboo, you never know when you’re coming up on your 90-foot growth-spurt. It could be right around the corner.