Skip to content

This Is Why Most People Quit

2025-06-22 · Short · Ali · recording, 1:10 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Mindset, motivation and happiness · mode: Explanation and tutorial

In a Short, Ali explains the bamboo tree effect: the Chinese bamboo tree shows nothing above ground for four years while it grows roots, then shoots up in six weeks, and success works the same way, so people who quit early because they see no results may just be building roots.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — The bamboo tree effect: you might just be building roots

  • ★★★ Ali calls it the bamboo tree effect: success tends to work like the Chinese bamboo tree, as you keep putting in the work with no visible results for months or sometimes years until a sudden breakthrough. — 00:00:00
  • ★★ Ali says the Chinese bamboo tree shows nothing above ground for four years after planting while it builds an elaborate root system, then in the fifth year grows enormously in just six weeks. — 00:00:00

  • ★★★ Most people quit during the first years of hard work because they think nothing is happening, Ali says, while the work is building growth they cannot see yet; if you work hard without results, you may not be failing but building roots. — 00:00:29

    “you might not be failing you might just be building roots”

00:00:52 — The free quarterly goal-setting workshop

Threads in this video

  • refine · When should you quit something? — Most people quit during the first years of hard work because they think nothing is happening, Ali says, while the work is building growth they cannot see yet; if you work hard without results, you may not be failing but building roots. (00:00:29)

Mentioned

Central: bamboo tree effect

← Previous: Too Many Goals? Try This Instead · Next → 5 AI Tools I Use Every Day