Best Time To Plant A Tree

When Is The Best Time To Plant A Tree?

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time to plant a tree is today. - Chinese Proverb

We are planting trees every day. We consistently lay down seeds in our lives in the form of decisions, actions, and thoughts that ultimately grow into a tree over the course of our lives. What are the seeds you are laying down every day, and will you be proud of the trees they produce in 20 years? Let’s dive in.

The Question Behind The Question

This straightforward interpretation of this Chinese proverb is focused on taking action now. All great things take time, but all great things have to start somewhere. So why not start it now? But I want to focus on the trees we have already laid, grown, and watered in our lives today. These trees can be anything from your habits, your thought processes, or even the dreams you are working towards. The question then turns into “Are you planting the right trees?”

In 20 Years

In 20 years, what will your forest look like? Are you able to enjoy the fruit and the shade from the trees you have produced over the last two decades? This question is impossible to answer right now, but I challenge you to think through your habits with this lens. Then start cutting down the bad trees and start fertilizing the good ones. This is one of the truest forms of loving your future self.

A Challenge

I challenge you to think about what would be cool to have in 20 years. I am not talking about a nice car or a big house. I am talking about something meaningful and of sentimental value that takes years to gather. For example, I have a friend who wrote his wife hundreds of letters before he even met her. Every week throughout middle school, high school, and college, he would write. Then, as a wedding gift, he gave her all of the letters that he wrote to show her that even before they met, he was thinking of her. That is a good tree. What can you start doing today that you will be thankful for in 20 years? It is a question worth exploring, and the fruit will set you apart from others.

Go out. Make a difference.