Bamboo

Even though we have to go back 1.6 billion years to find humanity’s common ancestor with bamboo, we have a lot more in common with it than we might think.

Bamboo grows in two phases. First is the “Establishment Phase” where the plants grow robust root networks and store up their nutrients. And second is the “Shooting Phase” where the bamboo stalk grows out of the ground and becomes visible for all of us to see.

The crazy part is, bamboo plants are in their “Establishment Phase” for 3-5 years before initiating their “Shooting Phase”, where they grow sometimes 3 feet a day and reach their fully matured height in just a matter of weeks.

This means that for years there’s no observable progress. All of the growth and development happens in ways that you can’t even see. Invisible progress compounds until it reaches a tipping point where it transitions into explosive growth that few organisms in the world are capable of.

While this isn’t true of our physical growth as humans, there are elements of it that are certainly part of our personal growth. We work on our communication skills and then all of a sudden, we’re invited to share our perspective on stages. We invest in building a relationship with someone, and then finally it clicks and the level of mutual support quickly elevates. 

We’re making invisible progress in every area of our life, and as long as we stay disciplined and consistent, we’ll meet the day where the growth occurs. But too many of us stop too soon because we don’t think it’s working, or our efforts aren’t effective.

The next time that thought comes to mind, remember the bamboo. Patiently invest in itself and your foundation. One day, when the conditions are right, you’ll shoot toward the sky and realize the new heights you always knew possible.