25th Oct, 2021
Centuries ago, a King was sitting in his cabinet meeting discussing about the poor economy of his country. One economist said, “Sir, we can’t do anything about it. It’s the Law of Supply and Demand.”
The King said, “I’m the King. I will repeal that Law!” The Cabinet kept quiet, but one brave soul said, “Sir, you cannot repeal the Law of Supply and Demand. It’s like the Law of Gravity.”
And the King said, “I’m the King. I will also repeal the Law of Gravity!”
Obviously, this story is purely fictional. But the message that comes out is clear – You cannot repeal some laws that govern this universe.
Like the Law of Gravity, and…The Law of the Farm.
What does the Law of the Farm mean?
It means that a farmer cannot expect to harvest a great crop unless he carefully plans for the development of that crop and works diligently and consistently over a long period of time.
So, a farmer needs to –
Prepare the soil, Fertilize the soil, Plant the seed,
Water it and nourish it continually as it grows, Tend to the weeds
Protect it from insects and diseases,
Monitor it constantly to know exactly when the best time to harvest will be.
These things take ongoing effort throughout the whole process.
The farmer cannot plant a crop, do nothing for six months, and then expect to have a great harvest magically.
There are natural laws and principles that govern agriculture and determine the harvest. But, ironically, in social and corporate cultures, we somehow think we can dismiss natural processes, cheat the system, and still win the day. And there’s a great deal of evidence that seems to support that belief.
Most students would rather cram their textbooks in one night than learn gradually for a year before sitting in exams.
Most of us with worn and unfit bodies would want to get lean and fit by exercising vigorously for just a few hours and days.
Most companies would dump a lot of money on projects and expect them to reap rewards instantly, In the stock market, most of us would want our stocks – mostly bought on tips and borrowed conviction – to fly and earn us fast returns.
There’s no effort that most of us would want to put to earn a rich harvest in the future. We wish for results in quick time.
Warren Buffett wrote this in his 1985 letter to shareholders-“No matter how great the talent or effort, some things just take time: you can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”
As on the real farm, success in life, business, and investing comes from regular disciplined, regular effort.
Like a farmer cannot expect to reap a bumper crop by being lazy for six months and then “cramming” to catch up, the greatest successes are built slowly and deliberately through focused, consistent, high-quality efforts on a regular basis.
Please remember, in life as in farming, a rich harvest would come to you not from finding easy shortcuts, but from disciplined, focused effort, directed tirelessly toward a desirable goal.
Try putting the Law of the Farm to work in your life and you’ll be amazed with the results over time.
Stay Blessed Forever.