13th March, 2023
Most young tree saplings spend their early decades under the shade of their mother’s canopy.
Limited sunlight means they grow slowly.
Slow growth leads to dense, hard wood.
But something interesting happens if you plant a tree in an open field: free from the shade of bigger trees, the sapling gorges on sunlight and grows fast.
Fast growth leads to soft, airy wood that didn’t have time to densify.
And soft, airy wood is a breeding ground for fungus, disease, and ultimately a short life.
“A tree that grows quickly rots quickly and therefore never has a chance to grow old,” forester Peter Wohlleben writes.
Isn’t that true with so many other things too – life, business, love, relationships and virtually all aspects of our life.
Chamath once put it: “The faster you build it, that is the half life. It will get destroyed in the same amount of time.
Too many people work tirelessly down a path that won’t give them the results they want. It’s like running on a treadmill, you’re working, but you’re not going anywhere.
When you are building a business it does feel a little bit like running a race, but that doesn’t mean you are competing with other runners to get to the finish line first. Everyone runs at their own pace.
I’ve always had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with my business, but the timeline to get there has changed over time with changes in my life. I have lots of ideas and things I want to do to help grow the business, but I may not always have the time to do it.
The key is learning how to prioritize those things to best benefit you, even if it translates to slower growth.
Growing your business slowly doesn’t mean you aren’t successful. Slow growth means that you are making time to focus on other things too. Slow growth means you can take time to be more purposeful and intentional with your business offerings and strategies. Slow growth means you don’t have to work all night and get burned out quickly. It’s all about the perspective.
Schedule an hour every week to “check in.” Reflect on your intentions and observe the challenges or opportunities showing up in front of you. Think about what’s working, what isn’t working, and where you can focus your energy next week.
Go slow, build a strong foundation, trust the process & stay blessed forever.