Overnight success stories are like mirages in the desert: they seem real at first, but everything is not as it seems.
“Overnight success” is a misleading phrase. A more accurate phrase would be an “overtime success.” As in, over a certain period of time—days, months, years—success is achieved.
The idea of an overnight success is an enticing one. There is no arguing that. Who wouldn’t want to achieve their wildest dreams in an instant? I know I do.
But with these stories we see a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. And that makes sense. It is impossible to see every part of that person’s success story. So, believing they truly did achieve success quickly, we feel hopeful.
If someone achieved massive success quickly, then maybe we can too.
Or so the thinking goes.
While overnight success stories are like a mirage, true success is like a flower: it is something that is cultivated and nurtured over time. We grow success through consistent action overtime, not overnight.
Maybe you’re on the fence with this so far. Or maybe you haven’t even climbed up the fence yet. That is fair. Perhaps a story will help make sense of what I am talking about.
This story takes place in Asia. It’s about a young boy named Li and a bamboo tree.
Li And The Bamboo Tree
Li has a good life. He has things easy. He has done little to nurture the budding life he lives. But there is just one thing: he’s not very patient. Because he hasn’t needed to be. Success usually happens quickly for him.
His father, Wang, has provided everything Li has needed to be successful thus far. Though Li does help his father out on the farm, it isn’t much work.
One day, in early spring, Li heads out onto the property to find his father and spots him tending to some plants at the edge of their property.
“Hello father,” Li says.
“Good morning, son,” his father says, “Today is a special day.”
Wang hands Li a small seed.
“Here,” his father says. “That is the seed of a Chinese Bamboo tree. I want you to nurture and care for that seed like you have cared for all the plants on our farm—that is, if you’re up for the challenge.”
Challenge? What could possibly be challenging about that? Li thinks. Then, he finds himself reminiscing about all the plants he has helped grow over the years—orchids, plum blossoms, Camellias. He was successful in growing all those plants—and relatively quickly too.
This will be easy, he thinks. This will not take long.
“Sure, I’m up for the challenge,” Li says.
“Good Li, I’ll leave you to it,” Wang says.
Li shrugs his shoulders, then walks away to plant the seed. After planting it, he grabs a water pail and waters the seed for the day.
Water The Seed
A month passes and he continues to water the seed every day.
What is going on? Why won’t this stupid tree grow already, Li finds himself thinking.
Then a year passes, and Li still hasn’t seen the bamboo.
Sweat is pouring from his face as if a hose were turned on, now that it’s summer on the farm, and Li throws the water pail down at the ground. This shouldn’t be this hard, Li thinks. It should not be taking so long.
His father, after hearing the water pail hit the ground, goes out to check on him.
“Son, I know you are frustrated, but you are doing everything right,” His father says.
“In life, success—in any endeavor—takes time. It is like travelling on a road. We can’t always see our destination right away, but if we follow the road—the process—we will get there. Keep watering the seed, son.”
Li didn’t fully understand what his father was saying, but he trusted him. So, he kept watering the seed each day.
Another year passes now.
Then one more.
And another.
And another.
Li has been watering the seed for five years when it happens—he sees the bamboo break the surface.
“Yes!” Li yells. Wang hears his son jumping and screaming and comes to see what the fuss is about.
“Congratulations my son,” Wang says, “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, father,” Li says. “You were right about the process. But why didn’t you tell me it would take so long?”
“Son,” his father says, “We can never know with certainty how long a goal will take to achieve, like with this bamboo tree. We can’t control the outcome. But, we can control the process. We can choose to water the seed every day.”
Overtime Success
“In reality, things are often less difficult than we think they’ll be, but take longer than we think they’ll take.” -Precision Nutrition
It’s easy to lose sight of the process when we are struggling to see progress. To let our mind get fixated on the outcome and what we can’t control, instead of focusing on what we can: the process.
Li’s bamboo tree took five years to grow—most of our goals will take far less time; the goals may take five days, five weeks, or five months. Who knows? Though the time to grow our different bamboo trees will differ, the process is the same: watering the seed.
But not seeing progress sucks, there is no denying that. I get it.
You are working hard and want to see the fruits of your labor, like Li wanted to see the bamboo tree.
But progress is invisible at times.
We could not see the ground below where Li was watering, but if we could, then we’d have seen the roots of the tree growing strong. Consistency in watering the seed was building the foundation of future success. Progress was happening—Li just couldn’t see it.
So, if you’re struggling to achieve your goals, to grow your bamboo tree, then ask yourself: “How am I watering the seed each day to grow my bamboo tree?”
Maybe you are watering your “fitness” bamboo tree every day by going on a walk. Great!
Maybe you are watering your “nutrition” bamboo tree by following the hand portions we teach at BSP NOVA. Also great!
Remember: overnight successes happen over time. Success occurs because people watered the seed every day, which led to the outcome they wanted.
Now, a closing caveat.
A Caveat on Success: Process vs. Outcomes
I’m no mind reader, but I imagine some of you are thinking, “Wait just a burger-flipping-second. You talked about not being able to control the outcome, and focus on the process, so does that mean we shouldn’t care about the outcome at all?”
Nope.
The outcome is crucial. It is the target we are aiming at—our north star, the “Red X” on our treasure maps.
What I am saying is this: focus on watering the seed—on consistently acting over time—and the outcome will take care of itself.
As the people at Precision Nutrition say, “A quality process leads to a quality outcome.”
Look at Li’s story: focusing solely on the outcome, on the bamboo growing, led to frustration. He could have let himself quit because he was frustrated, or, he could do what he did—focus on the process to get him there.
We cannot rush how long change takes, because it happens when it happens. When the consistency of our actions done over time causes the outcome to be realized.
So, if we choose to water the seed each and every day, then we may not become overnight successes, but we can become overtime successes. Keep watering the seed.
