April Showers Bring May Flowers

The roots of confidence come from failing. The fruits of confidence come from success.

Our humanity is a funny thing. We always want more and set off on our own little adventures trying to reach that next goal or milestone, rarely taking the time to appreciate the progress of the present.

Inside these cycles of growth is where core characteristics develop, this letter is a reflection on how I've noticed confidence grows, using gardening as a metaphor.

Planting Seeds in March

Few things stop my brain from ticking the time away and although I really could make an effort to stop and smell flowers of progress a little longer, I don't think there's anything nothing wrong with striving towards the next thing.

Like anything we do, there is a process to growth and the first step is to plant seeds by getting your hands dirty.

This could take shape in many forms, everything from buying a domain for your business, creating a new product, applying for a job, opening up a new distribution channel, traveling to conferences to meet people, etc.

Whatever stage you are in, there are all kinds of seeds that can be planted and March is one of the best months to plant seeds in the Western Hemisphere.

It's also the time when a lot of seeds that you tried to plant in Q1 sprout... or don't. Contracts don't work out, applications get denied and customers churn.

But you know what. You tried and in the process of trying you learned how to actually plant those seeds better next time. You got the experience of the process.

Plant many seeds often and soon you'll be able to plant your seeds with confidence.

Trusting and Nurturing in April

This could be anything from choosing the soil that's a better fit, adjusting the watering schedule, or picking the right seeds to plant. Perhaps you investigate and find that someone salted your plot of land, forcing you to move on and cut your losses.

Whether your seeds sprout naturally, are genetically modified to sprout, or just don't sprout at all; you still put in the effort of learning how to plant. Be confident in that process and trust that you're learning the right tweaks.

In business this could be following up with potential customers, reaching out for opportunities, or taking a step back and giving a proposal the time it needs to be reviewed.

Waiting is one of the hardest things to do in our modern world; and personally, patience has become a 'learned' skill, but when you're confident in how you're nurturing your sprouts it's easier to let them be and focus on other things.

May Flowers & Summer Fruits

As I type this letter, It's the morning of May 2nd. Looking out the window, I see Carolina pine trees that get thicker and greener every day.

Pretty soon there will be flowers all around, the bees will be buzzing and new life will come about.

If you planted your seeds in March and nurtured them throughout April, this is probably the month you'll see beautiful flowers bloom.

You could pick them, put them in a vase and let the aroma seep through your home. Or you can let them live to provide pollen and nectar for what you really want to grow. The fruits.

In the startup world, this could be a flashy funding/product announcement, where another's seeds are portrayed as flowers. It could be the signing of a high-value contract. It could even be graduating from college.

Often times we pick the flowers of our plants thinking it's the end goal. Once you've been planting for a couple of years, you'll know to wait for the fruit to come and to keep nurturing the plant as a whole.

That investment needs to turn into growth, that contract needs to be delivered upon and that degree needs to convert into a job. Smell the flowers, share them, and anticipate their future but don't pick them early or rest on their laurels.

Trust that one day your plants will bear delicious fruit for you to eat, along with another seed to cultivate. Have confidence that throughout the failures, you've established hidden roots of confidence and that your fruits of success will taste that much better.

I'd like to think I'm a confident gardener but my green thumb is usually smudged by Expo markers. It's a work in progress just like yours.

Hope you enjoyed this little letter, our next edition is called "All Roads Lead to Rome", stay tuned!

-Hari