3 Lessons from Planting my 1st Tree

I have a fascination with fruit trees.  Perhaps it is because I grew up in NYC where it is cold in the winters and you can’t grow any fruit trees… I always thought having a fruit tree and getting to pick fresh fruit in your backyard for free was the coolest thing.  In fact, before I got my house, I had an orange tree on my dreamboard… and as it turns out, I ended up buying a house that has an orange tree that produces oranges in abundance!

My other goal that I have since we moved into our house a few years ago was to have a Haas avocado tree.  Both Kelly and I LOVE avocados (we always order extra servings of guacamole when we eat Mexican food) and I think nothing would be cooler and more convenient to have FREE fresh avocados growing in the backyard!… So I’ve been wanting to grow a tree for quite some time now…But I never actually took the time to do so.

Recently, for some reason, I finally decided to change my daily routine and do something different!  As usual, I had my entire day planned out from the time I wake up to sleep… I had a doctor’s appointment with Kelly and then planned to bike 8 miles to my yoga class… do yoga and then bike another 5 miles… and then do some business stuff…

However, after my doctor’s appointment, I decided to change course and do something “different.”  Normally I am very disciplined to stick to my daily routine and schedule but for some reasons today I felt that I needed a change and do something that was on my “to do” list for a long time… and that was to plant my first tree!  I went out and purchased a small baby avocado tree and then went online to watch some Youtube videos on how to properly plant a tree… an hour later, here was my tree:

I’ve been wanting to plant my avocado tree but never got around to it.  Initially if you look at it, it was not the most urgent nor important thing… but if you look at it from another perspective, it was VERY important.  For some reason, I like gardening a lot and though I’m not great at it, I do a little here and there.  (maybe only 5 minutes a day)  It is one of those things that is a de-stresser and even after 5 minutes of it, it motivates me and also helps me get back to focus.  Everyone of us needs one of those things… and I’ve come to realize that there are 2 things that really get me going.  What I mean by “get me going” is it de-stresses and is a break… and after the break, I come back STRONGER and MORE FOCUSED than ever.

3 Major Lessons Learned

There are also tremendous lessons you can learn from gardening.  Here are the 3 major lessons:

LESSON 1
Reinforces that everything in life is about PROCESS and nothing happens overnight.  A fruit bearing tree does not happen overnight.  It may take years for the tree to grow from seed to fruit bearing ability; but once it reaches the fruit bearing age, the tree will provide plenty of abundance!  (more fruit that you can personally consume!).  But in order to reach the abundance stage, you need years of focused and daily nurturing such as watering, weeding, fertilizing, protecting it from the wind, mulching, etc.  And then after years of care, you will get the fruits of your reward!

The same applies with life and with success.  If you want to become the millionaire, it will require time and the same “process” of daily nurturing of your mind.  That nurturing could be daily devotion to self improvement, daily actions related to your goals, daily reflection on the mistakes you make… and only after years of consistency and focus will you get your abundance.

LESSON 2
The knowledge to do whatever you want to do is all available on the internet!  The internet has really broken down the barriers of entry.  Years ago, I would have had to consult a gardener, landscaper or purchased books to learn how to properly plant a tree.  Today, it took me less than 30 minutes to watch some Youtube videos online and I learned everything.  Saying “I don’t know how” is no longer a valid excuse!

LESSON 3
Third lesson is… just like my desire for an avocado tree so that I can get plenty of avocados… everything starts with a thought and idea… but NOTHING HAPPENS until I actually take action and planted the tree!  If I had taken action 3 years ago, my tree would be way further along in terms of producing fruit.  Instead, I have wasted 3 years due to procrastination.  Which brings me back to our lives… many of us have things on our minds that we want to do and accomplish, but we end up living unfulfilled lives due to our inaction!  Just taking the first small step towards your goals followed by daily consistent action will lead you to your goals!

What Action Are You Going To Take Today?

So is there anything that YOU want to accomplish that you have not achieved yet?  What is the first “small” step that you need to take?  Whether it is planting the tiny tree or calling someone… or contacting someone… take 5 minutes to think about what you need to do and take action today!