Digging Deep – The Process of Preparation
Every building begins with a foundation. Every success story has a background process powering it. Everything beautiful starts with raw materials that are not usually the fanciest and often have to undergo a process to become beautiful.
A very good example is the Chinese story of the bamboo tree. It starts as a seed that the farmer plants, and nothing is produced for up to 5 years. However, in the 5th year, the tree grows at an astronomical rate, reaching 90 feet within 6 weeks.
The question on anyone’s mind would be, what exactly was going on within the first 5 years? Why wait 5 years to grow up to 90 feet in 6 weeks, when it could have started growing in the first year and probably reached the same height in the fifth year?
That sounds quite logical, to be honest, except that it does not take into consideration the idea of capacity in the growth process of the bamboo tree. So, let’s zoom in a little closer on what was really happening in those first 5 years. I am not going to attempt to be a smart biologist, so I will try to explain what I have learned from what I have read so far.
It’s a simple explanation to a much more complicated process – the bamboo seed grows its root downward first before it starts growing upwards. It digs deep into the ground, developing the basis upon which the actual tree can really grow without worrying too much about being swept away by storms.
How does this apply to us?
The process or journey of the first 5 years of the bamboo tree can be referred to as its preparation phase. It is preparing for what is to come, building itself to the capacity where it can comfortably carry the actual tree when it sprouts.
One of my favourite quotes is from Lionel Messi, who, in my opinion, is the greatest footballer of all time; he said, “I start early, and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success”.
The season or phase of preparation is, in my opinion, the most important phase in anyone’s life. If you miss out on this season, it becomes really difficult to become the best version of yourself. This is because two things are certain in life: challenges and opportunities, and if you are not prepared for either, they will either overwhelm you or cause you to crash.
So, what does it mean to dig deep?
The first and most important concept of digging deep is ‘process’. I would define ‘digging deep’ as the process of preparing for the future that you want to see. And this process of preparation is directly proportional to the level of success you want to see in your life.
If you consider more shallow plants like the maize, you would observe that it starts sprouting almost immediately, and it dies within weeks, not able to stand the test of time or seasons. However, with plants that dig deeper into the ground to develop stronger and more robust root systems, you will find that their plants last for years, even longer than the one who planted the seeds in the first place.
Roman philosopher, Seneca, describes luck as when preparation meets opportunity. Based on this, luck is not just mere ‘fate’. Nothing just happens to anyone. If you look closely, you will find patterns and trends that can point you to how things have evolved for that person. And this applies to both positive and negative experiences.
Digging deep requires resilience, patience, optimism and consistent work. It is not enough to believe in your dreams or future, you need to prepare for it. I have heard a proverb that says that no one prays for rain and does not go out with an umbrella. Whatever your expectations are, are you prepared for them?
This month, we will look at topics such as resilience, patience, discipline, values and principles. These are tools that we will need to dig deep. It is important to note that digging deep is not an exciting experience. It is painful. It is messy. You will want to give up. You will get tired. But in the end, it will be well worth it.
Important questions to reflect on:
- What is the future you see for yourself, and what are your expectations?
- How far are you willing to go for the future you are looking forward to?
- Are you ready to get your hands dirty? Because it usually gets messy before it gets beautiful.
- Do you have the tools required for your season of preparation?
- What is more important to you, results or process?
Answering these questions will get you on your way to becoming all that you were meant to be. Don’t give up; in the end, it will be worth it.
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