Taking the Long View

In today's world of social media and instant gratification, it's easy to get caught up in the short view of "I want it and I need it now." With a few taps on our phone screens or a couple of quick commands to the smart speaker in our home, we can order almost anything we desire and have it dropped at our doorstep within a day or two. In my experience of recruiting and hiring in corporate America, the same idea carries over into the workplace.

I would interview new college graduates and explain our hiring process, the licensing requirements, and the compensation structure. The look of surprise on many faces that they weren't going to be getting a salary close to $100,000 on their first day caught me off guard at first. They were looking for high salaries, quick promotions, and 4-day work weeks. This very short view is, in my opinion, part of what leads many to be dissatisfied and burnt out in their careers in such a short amount of time.

When a person chooses to look at life through a lens of "how quick can I get it" all the time, life can be very disappointing. Now, I want to be clear, it is very possible to create a lot in your life in a short amount of time. Setting goals, having a clear intention of what you truly desire, and taking action daily toward those goals, can lead to a lot of change very quickly. This is different than just focusing on instant gratification without planning, working, and achieving measurable results.

The long view in life is using those short-term goals as building blocks to something bigger. Create a plan for your life that starts one year from now and goes out a minimum of 20 years. That is a long view while you start working toward those goals today. This practice is great to open your mind up to possibilities for your life. Who will be on the journey with you? Where will you be living 5, 10, and 20 years from now? What career will you have at different points in your life? I have done this practice several times and each time is a little different in the details. However, the main threads are always there focusing on who I will be with, how I will be helping people in pursuit of their goals, and lots of travel around the world.

Another example of taking a longer view, albeit not as long as I have mentioned up to this point, is in my daytime stock trading practice. I have four screens set up in my office, different charts, and programs running to help me know when to buy a stock and when to sell it. It can be kind of hectic at times. I watch charts that update in different intervals from 30 seconds up to one hour. The 30-second chart can be a bit overwhelming when the market is having a volatile day. If I rely only on that very short, quick chart, I can miss opportunities to buy or sell because I am getting information in a very small window of time. I have learned to pair that data with the data I watch in my 5-minute and 15-minute charts. Using that longer window of time, I have a better idea of what the overall movement of a stock is doing. I don't let quick moves up or down in the 30-second chart impact my decision-making. It's a piece of the puzzle, but not what I completely lean on. The longer time frame gives me a better understanding of what is happening.

I encourage you to take time today and reflect on how you are living your life. Are you creating a life that jumps from point to point with no real goal in mind? If you find you're missing some direction, find some quiet time, slow down, and just let your mind wander about what it is you really want out of life. If you want some help with this, feel free to reach out. I am always happy to support you on your journey of discovery around your life's desires as you create your own legacy!