Up and around the bend

Your short-term thinking may be the reason you never seem to get ahead.

One of the most amazing things about people is that the way they think completely controls their life. Nobody I know can actually escape this rule.

Whether we know it or now, we’re all controlled by the thoughts we hold in our minds. The way we think either builds us up, or it tears us down. And one of the biggest traps that most people fall into is thinking in short time frames.

Most people think in one of three time frames:

One week or less

One month or less

One year or more

Where do you find you tend to fit?

If you find yourself waking up on Monday, wishing it was Friday, then you’re probably stuck thinking week-to-week. You probably get a high on Friday nights and a sense of dread on Sunday nights. (Don’t worry, you’re not alone... most people think just like you.)

Or maybe you’ve moved past that and now tend to think about getting through the month. You have to pay the mortgage and car payment, and have to get in those monthly reports. You have a few things you’re looking forward to in the coming weeks, as long as you can hold it all together until after the 30th.

Or perhaps you’re one of those rare people who actually thinks beyond the month’s end, and you plan out your year ahead. You focus on what you want to change and improve this year, and you slowly work towards it each week and each month.

Can you see the difference here?

I first learned this idea from Brian Tracy, who said that the rich and poor in society think in different time frames. The poorest people think from day to day as they try to survive. The middle class think paycheck to paycheck, while the richest people think long term. The rich don’t expect instant results, rather they plan long term and keep working until they get what they want.

The harsh truth is that people who get stuck in the weekly or monthly cycle is that they tend to live a smaller life. They can’t risk changing too much because they are on a treadmill. And it’s a treadmill that is created simply because they don’t bother to look further ahead.

So, how can YOU start to think longer term?

Well, the best way I know is to start to plan some long term goals for yourself. Take out a piece of paper and write 3 things that you would like to change and improve during the next year. Make your goals a challenge, but not completely unreachable. Make them things that if you achieve them, will make the year’s work worthwhile.

If you can’t come up with anything, then maybe look at other people around you who have, do or are what you’d like to be. And then use this as a guide to set your years goals.

Once you have your yearly plan, start to think about it each day. And change your mindset to look forward to what you want for the year.

And finally, when things don’t go your way this week, or this month, remember that it’s okay because you’re working towards something that will take a year to achieve. But it will be worth it!