As a young boy growing up on a farm in East Texas, I used to watch my grandfather plow his fields with a mule. That mule was wild and restless every morning, eager to dash in any direction except the one intended. But my grandfather had a secret: he put blinders on the mule. Those blinders blocked out distractions, allowing the mule to focus solely on the path ahead.
Have you ever wondered what truly drives extraordinary growth and success? It's not a secret formula or a stroke of luck—it's the power of daily discipline. Like a bamboo farmer who waters the seed diligently without seeing immediate results, consistent, everyday actions lead to remarkable transformations.
As bamboo farmers dedicated to nurturing our dreams, we often focus on external challenges—weathering storms, tending to our crops, and waiting patiently for spectacular growth. But what about the internal challenges that threaten our progress? Today, I want to address a silent saboteur that lurks within us all: the "negaholic."
What if I told you that focusing on just 20% of your efforts could lead to 80% of your desired results? Imagine discovering a secret that not only simplifies your life but also accelerates your personal and professional growth. Today, I'd like to introduce you to a powerful principle that can revolutionize how you nurture your potential and achieve your goals: the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule.
As a leader, you're likely facing more challenges than ever before. Between the rapid pace of technological change and shifting expectations in the workplace, leading a team today can feel like playing chess and checkers simultaneously. Each piece wants fair treatment, but every individual needs something unique from you. That's where servant leadership comes into play—a timeless concept that offers a powerful way to navigate modern leadership challenges.
When I first wrote Water the Bamboo, the original title was actually Bring Your Spirit to Work. While the final title shifted, I've always believed that bringing your spirit to work is at the heart of personal and professional growth. It's a mindset that can transform your career and the lives of those you interact with daily.
In this crazy world where everything moves at a million miles a minute, patience isn't just a good thing—it's a must! Modern conveniences and technology have shortened our ability to be patient, creating a "microwave mentality" that leaves us craving overnight success. But true growth, like a bamboo shoot, requires time and nurturing.
One of the concepts I'm passionate about is helping individuals and leaders manage their chaos and pain as they strive to water their bamboo. When it comes to change, things can get messy. I often say, "It's messy in the garden," and this idea perfectly encapsulates the process of planting and nurturing our dreams--but there will be weeds and dirt along the way we need to address.
Taking a personal retreat seems like a distant luxury in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Yet, the true essence of a Bamboo Retreat lies not in running away from life’s obligations but in the journey toward self-discovery and rejuvenation. Having experienced and witnessed the transformative power of such retreats, I know that embracing this practice can be a pivotal point in your personal and professional growth.
I'm always seeking ways to be more productive and grow both personally and professionally. That's why Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain" method has become one of my favorite ways of staying on task to achieve goals.
The core idea from comedian Jerry Seinfeld is this: Do the most important thing for your big goals for at least 15-20 minutes every single day without breaking the chain. Get yourself a calendar and cross off each day you put in the work.
Something we all hear a lot about but struggle to integrate into our lives is innovation. Innovation can be a bit tricky. One of the reasons innovation is tricky is because we humans are creatures of habit, often finding comfort in the familiar, even when innovation is necessary. Another challenge when it comes to innovation is our desire to be accepted and fit in.
The global pandemic has taken a toll on our mental health, and many of us are feeling overwhelmed with our efforts. It's important that we find ways to lighten up so that we can take care of ourselves and support each other.
We all have an impact on each other, and when I think about lightening up, I think of it like a candle. When your candle is lit, you have a lightness about you. And best of all, a lit candle can light an unlit candle, and can continue lighting other unlit candles.
We all carry emotional baggage with us from past experiences and relationships, which can hold us back from reaching our full potential. When giant timber bamboo grows, it sheds its outer layer to reach its full potential.
We need to do the same.
We must ask ourselves these questions to begin the process of shedding our outer layer, just like giant timber bamboo:
In 1939, there was a student by the name of George Dantzig running late for a statistics class at Cal Berkeley. He was about 20 minutes late and slipped into class unnoticed. He saw there were some problems on the board, so he wrote them down, assuming it was homework, then he continued to listen to the lecture. When he got home, he realized the homework problems were pretty challenging. Nevertheless, he took a few days and finished the problems and turned them in to his professor.
Imposter syndrome is a feeling or experience where an individual feels undeserving of their position or accomplishments. It is not a medical syndrome but rather a tendency that can impact an individual's confidence and ability to succeed. Imposter syndrome can cause people to procrastinate, not apply for jobs they are qualified for, or avoid taking on new projects.
I pick a theme for each year, and this year’s theme is generosity. Although it is critical that you take care of your own bamboo, generosity is also important. I’ve been focusing on this theme for the past ten months and have learned a lot. Most importantly, I realized that it’s just as important to learn how to receive generosity as it is to be generous with others. It stops the flow if someone is generous to us and we don’t receive it. Generosity has a ripple effect, like throwing a pebble into a pond–even the most minor act of generosity can impact those around us.
When you’re watering your bamboo in your career and life, it’s a good idea to simplify, otherwise you’ll have no energy left for watering your Bamboo. Think of it as weeding the Bamboo Garden. You don’t want weeds because they will take all the nutrients your bamboo needs to grow. If you feel overworked and overcommitted, you won’t have the energy and desire to accomplish your goals, so you must simplify.
