A lovely little quote I came across today.
"Think like a gardener. Work like a carpenter."
What does this mean?
Everyone wants everything at hyperspeed. We would not mind letters sent by post (snail mail) taking a month to reach us in the 90s, but today we want groceries delivered by an app in under 10 minutes. Bosses want deadlines met well before time, and deliverables are always overdue by default. Venture capitalist sharks fight for throwing the most money at the earliest possible stages, and then force the investee company to grow at backbreaking speed.
But talent and skills? These grow slowly. Does a gardener shout at his cute little sapling because it has not already become an apple tree?
The work needs to be put in however, consistently, daily, with discipline, just like a carpenter. The final product looks amazing, but it is really just patient repetition.
Leave a Comment