To become rich, you must create wealth. And in wealth creation, many of us have heard time and time again that “Money does not grow on trees”. It is meant to convey that we couldn’t expect to get money overnight or without working for it.

Well technically, we can’t walk over to the nearest tree and find Sh. 1, 000 notes hanging from its branches and neither can we just become rich in a twinkle.

But if you think about the process of how trees grow, you will realize that money does, in fact, grow on trees. Trees have something very important to teach us about the process of wealth creation. Try convincing an orange farmer that it doesn’t happen.

While it is true that the currency itself does not grow on trees, they pluck the oranges from the tree, sell the oranges and get money. Ask people who make furniture. They need the wood from the trees to make tables, beds, chairs and therefore get money.

The list can go on and on. They are countless examples where in fact money does grow on trees. But that, strictly speaking, is not what I am talking about.

Think of the process of the tree’s growth, from seed to plant. By the time the seed has become a tree several processes have taken place. First, every tree started small.

The greatest oak tree was once an acorn. You don’t become a tree overnight. In this day of instant gratification and availability of credit that helps you appear ‘wealthy’ we have got to remember this.

Take a look at a very tall and sturdy tree and understand that it was once a seed. Do not look at the person who is rich, where they live, what they are driving, where they go on holiday and try to be like them. They are a tree and you may be a seed.

Understand that it has taken a process for them to become rich, to become a tree and it will be the same process for you. And just because someone else did it in five years does not mean you will do it in the same time. Different trees mature at different times. Just run your own race without looking at what happened in someone else’s life.

Whenever what someone else is doing on their journey becomes the benchmark, you sell yourself short. You simply need to ask yourself whether you are taking the necessary steps to become the unique tree you are.

Secondly the sturdiest trees have the deepest roots. These roots gather nutrients from the soil and they support the weight of the tree. Some trees grow very fast but the roots don’t deepen enough so they die or have to be cut quickly.

Your roots are your value system. It is your bigger picture. It is the answer to what you want to have experienced by the time you exit. What is truly important to you? It is only as the root becomes deeper that that tree becomes sturdier.

Are your roots as shallow as the car you drive or as deep as the legacy you want to leave behind? The trunk of the tree is the character. Have you heard or met people who instantly win money in the lottery or some competition?

What happens in a short span of time? They have used up all the money and many times are worse off than before. What was lacking was character. Their character could not support the weight of the money.

The same reason they were playing the lottery is the same reason that will drive them back to being broke. The character is the same. If you cannot manage Sh. 1, 000 you cannot manage Sh. 1 million. In wealth creation, we can define some of these characters as discipline, perseverance, commitment, etc.

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Just like a tree continuously sheds its bark, your character evolves. The more of this character you have the wealthier you become. I am yet to meet a truly wealthy person who does not have discipline, irrespective of the billions they may have in the bank.

There’s no tree that says “I will wait to be tall before I get deep roots.” Define your roots and develop the character needed. Cultivate discipline by working with a budget now – you don’t have to earn more money to do this.

Write a vision and goals for your life now and do the necessary actions towards them no matter how small. Have you ever enjoyed the shade of a tree on a hot day? These sturdy or tall trees have extended branches that help the tree reach light plus give us shade. Just like light is an essential ingredient in nourishing the tree, our minds need to be nourished.

What are you continuously learning to improve yourself on your journey? What are you learning about investments to become a better investor? Waiting for money to appear does not bring any light into your life.

What conversations are you having that are enlightening you? The common “I am so broke” conversation with your usual group of friends is not helping you.

Lastly, it is not all about you. Give shade to others. You may have money to help others, you may have something to teach, you may have time you can give. In a nutshell money does grow on trees. But there is a process to becoming a tree.

Are you going to become the tree that money grows on or stay as the seed that money does not grow on?

This guest personal finance feature was written by Waceke Nduati Omanga, a financial and entrepreneurship coach and author, and the founder of personal finance platform, Centonomy. Waceke is the author of Making Cents.