When the bamboo farmer plants the seeds, after the first year he told me, he has nothing to show for his work.
The second-year? Nothing.
The third-year? Still nothing.
The fourth-year? You guessed it, nothing.
However, by the fifth year, something truly magical happens.
In a matter of a single season, the Bamboo Tree can grow as much as 80 feet.
The bamboo is nature’s example of Delayed Gratification.
Delayed gratification is the Cro-magnon man of success. It’s old, reliable and not sexy at all. Its direct opposite is Instant gratification, and that’s what the majority of the world subscribes to. It’s decadent, indulgent, 21st Century, and it’s a dopamine-releasing fix. It may give us a rush in the now but keeps us from the things we want the most.
Delayed gratification is not the easy route, and I struggle with it all the time. The idea is to approach short term pleasures in moderation but plan for the long term. This strategy requires self-discipline, patience, but most importantly, a clear sense of why you’re embracing it in the first place, but trust me, it works.
Gary Vaynerchuk shares my views -
“People lose because they want things fast when life is long.”
All our circumstances are different, and no two people will travel the same road, but if you try and short-circuit the natural laws governing progress, the results will not be pretty.
You can’t have a meaningful life without consistent effort.
You can’t be successful without putting in the hard work.
You can’t strike gold without digging.
Instant gratification, on the other hand, is getting in the way of your long term growth, happiness, and success.
Having things NOW comes at a COST.
That’s why retailers play on your inclination for instant gratification because its hardwired into us. It’s good for them but not for you.
When I began this writer’s journey, I knew I had to work really hard at building a tribe of readers who loved my brand of speculative fiction. I decided the only way forward is to learn to enjoy the aspects of the writer’s life that were uncomfortable, unpleasant, or monotonous. Time would pass no matter what I did, so why not accept the ups and downs of being a great writer. I learned to stop stressing and struggling to control what I had no control over. My
focus was to work consistently at the tasks that would make me a better writer and better marketer of my books. Like the bamboo, it took years for me to see the green shoots of progress. After years of self-denial, clashes with family, taking the wrong route, amongst other things, progress was slow, but it did come and continues to do so.
Of course, some things aren’t meant to be delayed. Your happiness, your health, peace of mind, passion for life, etc. Enjoy the beautiful things, now.
Don’t wait to feel love, and always look forward to something special every day. These are the things money can’t buy, but for everything else, practice delayed gratification and remember the bamboo.
