Why Thinking Too Long Can Hinder Your Success
Short-term thinking gets a bad rap when we talk about time management, but if you focus solely on your long-term goals, you may be on the road to burnout. Neglecting your immediate, short-term needs can make you even more stressed, despite your careful planning.
As a time coach and author of How To Invest Your Time Like Money , I do see that many people need to plan longer time frames so they can make progress on their priority projects. However, I also see a lot of people – and in my experience such people tend to be heavily focused on technology – who think too long. This becomes a huge source of stress and leads to just as long as it does short-term goals only.
As the saying goes, time can be thought of as money. Two people can go bankrupt for completely different reasons. One person may decide to spend money on too many fun things for immediate gratification, such as a new sports car, an expensive game, or a big trip. And someone else might have spent money on items that they thought were good investments, but for which they had no money, such as a house, a server, or a conference. Although one considered short-term and the other long-term, both ended up going broke.
To improve your performance and stop losing your health and happiness, you must imbue your time investing strategy with a healthy dose of realism. For all of you who are confused by long-term thinking, here’s a tip on how to get out of the chaos.
You can’t and shouldn’t plan everything
Realize that you may be overlooking important variables in your decision making. If you think too long, you tend to reject all other arguments, believing that something is a good decision simply because it can be beneficial in the long run, as if it were a “long-term investment.” “is an excuse in itself – or plans that extend far into the future are inherently beneficial because of their range. But you can ignore variables that you cannot predict, and, in essence, must understand that you cannot predict everything long-term factors.
The first step to change is to acknowledge that there may be some gaps in your reasoning. One of the best ways to do this is to honestly evaluate the results of your current methodology. Are your current time management habits leading to overall success, or are your so-called plans just interfering with your job or your well-being? Doing this kind of self-assessment can be a little painful, but short-term pain can save you decades of long-term frustration. The more perspectives you consider, the better decisions you can make.
Recognize the value of short-term benefits to your well-being
Your health and happiness can be greatly impacted by short-term benefits, and planning only for longer periods may not consider your immediate well-being. Many ambitious people with a long-term investment mindset sleep too little, forget to eat, and don’t exercise at all — typical workaholics. While they view these behaviors as necessary and worthy sacrifices to achieve their larger goals, the truth is that they undermine their effectiveness in the short term and longevity in the long term.
When you make wellness a priority, you become happier, healthier, and more productive. Yes, it can seem petty and “weak” to insist that you stop eating at certain times during the day or go to bed at certain times so you can sleep. But the truth is, this simple behavior can save you hours of time every day from lost productivity because you are working with your body, not fighting it.
Align your overall decisions with short-term goals
To start moving away from thinking about long-term decision-making, you need to set some short-term goals. This could include deciding to limit your working hours to 50 hours a week, spending time with friends twice a month, or going to bed by 11:30 pm. The pursuit of such normality may seem obvious, but people who become obsessed with their big work. projects can easily neglect immediate short-term comfort .
Then, when deciding what you will or won’t do on a large project, consider how your choices will affect your short-term goals. For example, you might decide to have fewer clients or fewer projects to reduce your work hours to 50 per week. Or you can ask for more time to complete a project or additional resources so you can get it done and still leave work on time.
Be mindful of your tendencies and maintain perspective by regularly setting aside time for reflection, such as taking a break in the middle of the day to see if you are on the right track, or chat with a friend or colleague before deciding to do something. new. These respites give you the opportunity to reflect on whether you remember and stay in line with your most important short-term goals. You might even want to decide on the new features by asking a series of questions such as:
- How does this compare to my current short and long term goals?
- Do I have time for this now?
- If not, can I do something to find the time?
- How will this affect my health and happiness? About my relationship?
- If I say yes to this, will I feel aroused or pressured?
If you’re stuck in a long-term routine, start thinking in the short term to pay off debt, get more done, and enjoy life.