If I ask you to think long term, what timeframe would come to mind? Would it be ten years from now? Five years? One year? One week? We live in a world of instant gratification.
It can be very difficult to think much past the current day, with everything that's coming at us.
But short-term thinking can only lead to short-term success.
The type of personal growth that creates true wealth and real success takes time.
Whatever you do today, you can't build million dollar bank account before you go to sleep.
As Warren Buffet says, "No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time.
You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.
" One of the most important changes I made when starting down the path to financial freedom, was to switch to long term thinking.
Simply put, I started evaluating most of my life choices through a long-term lens.
In other words, when I looked at things like how I would spend my money, how I would spend my time, and who I choose to interact with, I switched from thinking about near term pleasure to how my choices would impact my life 10 or 20 years in the future.
I'm not going to lie.
This is a hard switch to make.
Our immediate wants scream loudly.
It's very easy to just let short-term thinking rule the day.
But this is the path to mediocrity.
We can't realize our potential unless we think and plan for the long term.
So.
if you are interested in shifting your thinking from short term to long term, here are some tips that can help you focus on the future: 1.
Write out a plan.
It's easy to just write down goals.
A few short sentences and you're done.
But writing a plan takes time.
There is no way to write a 10 page plan about your future life and not have clear thinking.
With short term thinking and goals, it's easy to gloss over the details.
By making yourself write everything out, it makes you consider all aspects of how you will become successful.
2.
Force yourself to think past next year.
Long-term thinking doesn't come naturally.
We know that things change constantly, but how does our thinking change when we think in terms of 10, 20 or even 30 years? It can be a little overwhelming at first to think that far into the future, but try it and see how it affects your decisions.
3.
Spend only what you can maintain.
Instead of buying everything that catches our eye, it's better to buy things that last and fulfill a specific purpose in our lives.
Asking questions like, "Will we have to cut back somewhere else to afford this purchase?" can help you discover what it's really costing you over the long term.
Remember, you can't achieve financial freedom in a day.
4.
Dedicate time to think about the future.
It's easy to get sidetracked with the busyness of everyday lives.
Successful people make time for solitude.
With all the technology we have today, it's easy to be connected 24 hours a day.
But we can't be our best going from one jam-packed day to the next.
Like an artist painting, we need to take a few steps back from the canvas of our lives and look at things from a wider view.
5.
Think backwards.
When you have big decisions to make, consider thinking backwards.
How will you feel about the choice when your 80? Will you regret it? This is a great way to "check in" with your thinking to make sure you stay true to your long-term goals and are not getting distracted.
I believe it's better to not rush something that can't be rushed.
Instead, commit yourself completely to the long-haul of financial freedom.
Focus on the things that really matter.
Build a long term future with long term thinking.
Be free.
Nothing else matters.