So my new found attempt at cultivating a Bonsai Tree has led to some interesting parallels in life. When I owned my own technology company, my wife and had a phrase that we lived by, “grow or die.” The idea was that when you are small like that the only option you have is to grow. There is no such thing as stable state where your revenue and expenses flatten out. There is to much turmoil, too much competition. The only choice you have for ultimate survival is growth.
However, another thing that learned is that you can grow to fast or worse grow in the wrong areas. Sometimes growth can be a bad thing for you and that is very hard, sometimes almost impossible to detect. People will tell you that you are being stupid for saying no to business, but sometimes saying no is the right thing to do. That is the hard part of being a business owner, or a manager of your own life.
The thing is that growth, albeit absolutely necessary, can be dangerous. In the case of my Bonsai tree, if I allow the top to grow and sprout too quickly the base will become weak and unhealthy. I need to control the growth commiserate with the resources and investment that I am willing to make. The tough lesson that I learned as a young business owner was that I needed a certain amount of cash flow for a specified amount of growth. I was really good at sales, but horrible at managing the business. I did not realize, until much later in life that was outpacing the ability for the operation and my cash reserves to sustain.
You can achieve rapid growth, but it requires investment that matches in ratio the growth rate expected. Otherwise you are effectively borrowing from your needed reserves that are required to maintain where you are at. This creates weak roots and branches and not the strength you need to survive the tough times. Oh, the lessons I learned from owning a business and owning a bonsai.
I have this tendency in my own life and endeavors. To push my limits, to extend far, but to find that eventually I will extend to far. I am disappointed that I cannot sustain. I should not be shocked by this, it is a natural consequence of reaching beyond your grasp. I have also the tendency to take on more that I can handle. Say yes to everything, grow the number of things I am involved in. I come crashing down when the top load becomes to unyielding and I do not have the underlying strength to keep it up.
The first lesson in my Bonsai for Dummies book, taught me to trim the top to strengthen the trunk. Seems like sage advice.
Guy Reams
