On flowering

“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.” -James Clear

The last few weeks I have been writing about the arrival of spring and, with it, the flowering of trees, bulbs, and bushes. I’ve shared my love of witnessing these events - with both appreciation and awe. My sense of wonder stems from the concept that Clear talks about in the leading quote; the flowing of a tree is the tipping point moment - the moment the stored energy and internal transformation is witnessable.

I believe that most humans need to see progress to believe it is happening. This is why making lists and crossing items off works. An excellent strategist knows how to take any large endeavor, break it down into discrete and achievable tasks, and delegate those tasks out to the most qualified people for execution. Each person has the satisfaction of completing items and the broader management team can see the whole project moving forward. Where frustration arises and despair can set in is when the progress - no matter how incremental - can’t be seen.

Cataloging things - whether through journaling, a daily picture, or recording facts - to reflect on later can help to create space to witness the growth that we may overlook. On any given day, our emotions can color how we perceive our progress; but the collection of information over time can illuminate the growth - and ultimately capture that tipping point of flowering.

As we begin April, are you happy with what is flowering in your life? If not, is there a technique you can employ to help shift your perspective?

Be well, beautiful people.