The Bamboo Tree Effect

Key Takeaways

This is the bamboo tree effect and it explains why you might not be seeing results despite working very hard. So the Chinese bamboo tree does something interesting. For 4 years after you plant it, you see absolutely nothing above ground. No shoots, no leaves, [music] nothing. But during this time, it's building an elaborate root system underground. And then in the fifth year, something incredible happens and the tree grows 80 ft in just 6 weeks. And then in the fifth year, something incredible happens and the tree grows absolutely tons in just 6 weeks. And this is exactly how success tends to work in real life. You put in the work every day and you see no results. You put in the work, you keep putting in the work and you see no visible results. But then after months or sometimes years of doing this, suddenly you get a breakthrough. The problem is that most people quit during those first four years. They think that nothing is happening. But in reality, all of that work is creating this growth under the ground that you can't just see yet. If you're working hard, but you're not [music] seeing results, then remember that you might not be failing. You might just be building roots. Oh, by the way, if you are feeling a little bit stuck or just want more clarity on what to actually work on over the next few months, I'm going to be running a live online quarterly goal setting, planning, and reflection workshop. I run these once a quarter. It's completely free to attend, and we usually have several thousand people from all around the world on a Zoom call planning our goals together. If you'd like to sign up, there is a link to register in my bio, and it's completely free.