The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World

by Dorie Clark

We’re stuck in permanent “execution mode,” without a moment to take stock or ask questions about what we really want from life.

Long-term thinking protects us during downturns (of all kinds), because it keeps us moving toward our most important goals.

It takes courage to be a long-term thinker, and a willingness to buck the near-term consequences. But the payoff can be enormous.

There’s a great quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that goes something like: we measure ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others measure us based on what we’ve done. This makes sense, of course. But it’s awfully frustrating when there’s a gap between what we know we can accomplish and what we’ve done up to that point. Everything takes longer than we want it to. Everything.

What should I spend my time doing? What are the 20% of my activities that will yield 80% of the results? What can I stop doing? How can I use constraints to my advantage? What are my hypotheses about the future—and how do they inform my actions today?

what stresses people out isn’t networking per se; it’s the idea of using people. In actuality, there are three types of networking: short term, long term, and infinite horizon. It’s short-term, transactional networking that gives the whole enterprise a bad name, and I’m going to suggest we avoid it whenever humanly possible. True networking isn’t about trying to get something as fast as you can. That’s a caricature of bad networking, yet people hold it up as an excuse for not engaging.

One precommitment strategy is naming a date. Another, it turns out, is involving other people.

Playing the long game means being willing to think ahead, and even make short-term sacrifices, to accomplish what matters. When we become disciplined about time management, and work relentlessly to enhance our distance to empty, we’re giving ourselves the space we need to achieve our dreams.

Get started in a very small way. Any goal can feel overwhelming if you look at it in its totality. But you’ll create positive momentum if you start small and can see your success build.

Understand what it really takes to accomplish your goals. Too many people get discouraged that they’re not progressing faster, simply because they never took the time to ask questions or discover how long it’s taken others to succeed. Develop a clear picture first so you can pace yourself and set realistic goals.

Setting constraints on the time you spend at work will, paradoxically, make you more efficient. You’ll be forced to devise better systems...

If you plan with a longer horizon than everyone else, and you’re willing to endure the ups and downs along the way, you’ll be able to accomplish f...