5 Financial Lessons Learned From the Chinese Bamboo Tree

Have you ever heard about the amazing Chinese bamboo tree? If not, keep reading. There’s a huge amount we can learn from this plant.

The Chinese bamboo tree is impressive! Over 90 feet of towering greenery above you making you feel like an ant under a dandelion. But do you know what it takes to make them grow?

In your first year of growing a Chinese bamboo tree you plant it, lovingly water it, fertilise it, carefully remove the weeds surrounding it, and wait. 365 days later you look and observe. In astonishment you see… nothing! Year two you undergo the same process. Water, fertilise, weed and again... not so much as a tiny bit of green bursting through the ground. Year three and four is frustratingly similar. At this point, most would think something had gone wrong and would probably be tempted to throw in the towel and plant something else in its place.

But in year five something incredible happens. Green life begins to burst through the soil. Most plants grow gradually and in millimetres. But not this one! It bursts through the soil at an astonishing rate of 90 feet in just five weeks! Isn’t that astounding? You could practically pull out a deck chair and witness the transformation occur before your very eyes.

5 financial lessons from the Chinese bamboo tree:

#1- Plant a Chinese bamboo tree
This is sometimes easier said than done but you do need to be proactive and actually plant a tree (invest) in something that will produce growth. It might be a savings goal, prospective business, property or other form of investment. Write a plan about what your 90 foot tree will look like, plan what it needs to help it grow and what daily contributions you need to make to ensure its success.

#2- Consistency is the key
Set a goal and pursue it relentlessly. Keep ‘watering’ by saving and investing with that goal at the forefront of your mind. Before you go to bed each night plan one step that you will take to get closer to achieving that goal.

#3- Have faith that your ‘tree’ will grow
You might be saving, saving, saving while your friends are borrowing and buying, living the high life. Don’t get frustrated! Bad debt is just that. Bad! Save and invest towards good assets that will earn income for you. The goal is not to pull the seed out of the ground now, but rather to allow it to grow. Try to always pay your investments first. If you are doubtful that your investment/savings ‘tree’ will grow, seek the counsel of financial adviser of some sort. You should feel confident in the seed you’ve planted.

#4- Plant other trees
One tree is great but you could do dramatically more by having other trees planted. Once you know how to plant bamboo trees, teach someone else.

#5- Enjoy the planting process
Savings and investment are not meant to be like sucking a lemon for the majority of your life so that you can eat cake in your final years. What kind of a life is that? Enjoy the process along the way. When you save more than you spend, you feel liberated. You watch your account grow and begin to feel in control. When you invest in something that grows while you sleep, you feel empowered. And when you can help others along the way, you feel purposeful, proud and free!

This is my second post on Steemit. I originally posted it on my side project http://www.budgetbrilliance.com/
I hope it adds an inspirational metaphor for saving and investing.