Hey Fam!
Imagine planting a seed with no idea of whenâor ifâit will sprout. You water it daily, tend to the soil, and protect it from the elements. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and stillâŚnothing. Most of us would lose hope, but not the farmer who plants the Chinese bamboo tree.
This tree is special. For five years, it shows no visible growth above the ground. Not an inch. But beneath the surface, its roots are forming, growing strong enough to support the towering growth to come. Then, in its fifth year, it shoots up to 90 feet in just six weeks.
Hereâs the question: Did the tree grow 90 feet in six weeks, or five years?
The answer is obviousâgrowth takes time, even when you canât see it.
Your Growth Is Like the Bamboo Tree
In life, itâs easy to feel like youâre working hard without seeing results. Whether youâre studying for exams, learning a new skill, building a career, or working on yourself, progress can feel invisible.
But just like the Chinese bamboo tree, the work youâre doing now is laying the foundation for exponential growth. Those rootsâthe habits, discipline, and knowledge youâre cultivatingâare essential for supporting your future success.
I see this in my life as a resident all the time. Day to day, itâs easy to feel like Iâm just getting byâlearning bits and pieces, handling cases, and trying to keep up with the demands of this intense training. But then I look back after completing a rotation, and I realize how much Iâve grown. My knowledge, confidence, and skills are all building steadily, even when itâs hard to appreciate in the moment. This has taught me to trust in the value of consistent effort, even when the results arenât immediately visible.
This Weekâs Reflection
Think about an area in your life where you feel like youâre not making progress. Whatâs one small action you can take daily to nurture it? Remember, every effort countsâeven when it feels invisible. Your growth, just like the bamboo treeâs, is worth the wait. Keep tending to your dreams with patience and faith. When the time comes, your âsix weeksâ will astonish everyoneâincluding yourself.
Did someone say free? đ
Sign up for my free Evolving Student Newsletter where you will receive a series of emails over the next 20 days designed to provide you with the motivation and tanigble strategies you need to approach your academic life in a balanced, productive, and fulfilled way.
Take you academic growth to the next level
If you're a student and want to really take your academic career to the highest level, sign up for the Evolving Student Challenge. Over the next 30 days, you'll receive a short (~5 minutes) video covering the principles the best students use to succeed in the classroom. You will also gain access to my personal Notion workspace and lifetime access to my mentorship community. And by being a Weekly Growth subscriber, you get a 20% discount!
Thanks for investing in your growth. See you next week!
JR
Responses