“A student asked, “Teacher, when is the best day to plant a tree for the best production?”

His teacher said, “There are two days to ensure the best production from you tree.”

“What are those two days?”

“The first is 20 years ago, the second, today.”

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You might have heard this dialogue before, adapted from a Chinese proverb, speaking to the importance of doing something today. 

If you want to grow in anything, the best time was always 20 years ago, and if you can’t do that, then today is the second best time to get started.

Start small.

In Jon Acuff’s book, Start, he said the largest challenge to people starting something new is their expectation to be a pro at the beginning. 

The greatest fear to the start is being an amateur.

If you’ve never done this thing, why would you expect to be a pro? 

We know this to be absurd, however, it still keeps many of us from starting.

And if you want to develop a skill, it always takes time.

Malcolm Gladwell made the case for 10,000 hours.

Either way, you have to start small.

When Apple built their new headquarters back in 2015-2016, among the many incredible engineering feats they accomplished, they also ordered fully developed trees from an arborist in Oregon.

They wanted the aged trees right at the beginning.

They were able to sidestep the long process of cultivating and growing the trees on their property.

Many of us are like the arborist company. The trees still needed planted and cultivated.

Surrender yourself to the process.

A cultivated and cared for tree always grows. Aside from some disease within the roots or trunk of the tree, trees cared for grows.

Are you cultivating your growth—continually feeding and watering it that it might have the nourishment it needs to expand?

You are when you read blogs like this. You are when you submit to reading a leadership book, or a how to book for your specific goal.

You are when you set your alarm the night before and wake up the next day.

You are when you choose to eat something healthy rather than the donut in the break room.

It doesn’t seem helpful or important in the moment, but every small step counts.

Keep showing up.

That’s on my whiteboard at home in my office. For 2023, I’m working on consistently showing up. Every day I place myself in front of the computer, at the keyboard, continue writing a book or writing a blog like this. 

Every day.

Sometimes, I don’t want to. 

That happened yesterday. I showed up for my writing time and I just didn’t want to write. I’m still processing through layoffs and applying for a new job. I hate applying for jobs. And it weighed me down when I sat at the desk to write.

I wrote anyways.

I’ll probably have more edits for that section than most any other section. That’s okay. I told myself I was going to show up to write and to get the words on the page.

This is the most I’ve written consistently, ever. Every day, except Sundays, in 2023 I’ve taken time to write.

I’m planting seeds to build the habit for what I want to see grow in my life.

In order for it to grow, I must show up.

If you want your thing to grow, whatever it is, you must keep showing up.

What are you working on this year? Remember those 2023 resolutions? If you’ve dropped off, which statistics share you might have already stopped, try again today. 

Start small.

Surrender yourself to the process.

Keep showing up.

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