Building For The Long Term
Don't spend most of your time dealing with the bottom line, on success, but on building a legacy that will sustain and nurture your organization.
As a principal in your own life, and in the organizations you direct, you will be called on to make short term decisions. If the decisions are made piecemeal without concern for long term consequences you risk suffering a drifting vision unanchored but by expediencies. To sustain a fixed vision your priority must be on direction and sequential consequences.
If you focus on other's ideas and forsake developing a set of personal absolutes you will flounder like a swimmer unable to decide toward which edge of the pond to swim. It is in the determination of goals and of a vision that you establish way points where your path is to lead.
Once established, these landmarks of intention will serve to re-align your walk when distracted by current events and personalities. With practice and attention you will learn that it is your goal that is important to you, not what others think of it. This will provide a dependable reference for making immediate decisions based on more than what is emotionally satisfying in the short term.
Take some time. and a pad of paper, and dwell on what you want to achieve. A first step is to write down the names of all the people whose expectations for your decisions affect how you act. Now write down what you would like to achieve in the long term, regardless of others approval or disdain.
Like plowing a field, if you look at your feet you will wander aimlessly. If instead you focus on a far point, a fence post or tree, and walk towards it your furrow will be straight. To achieve success you must have a goal, and a determination to achieve it within a long term mental commitment to your own moral code.
For a farmer, a series of straight furrows may be the difference between plenty with a salable surplus, and hunger. For your life well directed short term decisions may be the difference between a life well spent and wasted efforts that achieve no long term purpose.
While we must live today, our future is determined by consistency of choice based on personal priorities. Invest more time developing that priority set than you spend on solving small problems.
At the end of the growing season; may you be well fed and have a surplus to sell.
.
As a principal in your own life, and in the organizations you direct, you will be called on to make short term decisions. If the decisions are made piecemeal without concern for long term consequences you risk suffering a drifting vision unanchored but by expediencies. To sustain a fixed vision your priority must be on direction and sequential consequences.
If you focus on other's ideas and forsake developing a set of personal absolutes you will flounder like a swimmer unable to decide toward which edge of the pond to swim. It is in the determination of goals and of a vision that you establish way points where your path is to lead.
Once established, these landmarks of intention will serve to re-align your walk when distracted by current events and personalities. With practice and attention you will learn that it is your goal that is important to you, not what others think of it. This will provide a dependable reference for making immediate decisions based on more than what is emotionally satisfying in the short term.
Take some time. and a pad of paper, and dwell on what you want to achieve. A first step is to write down the names of all the people whose expectations for your decisions affect how you act. Now write down what you would like to achieve in the long term, regardless of others approval or disdain.
Like plowing a field, if you look at your feet you will wander aimlessly. If instead you focus on a far point, a fence post or tree, and walk towards it your furrow will be straight. To achieve success you must have a goal, and a determination to achieve it within a long term mental commitment to your own moral code.
For a farmer, a series of straight furrows may be the difference between plenty with a salable surplus, and hunger. For your life well directed short term decisions may be the difference between a life well spent and wasted efforts that achieve no long term purpose.
While we must live today, our future is determined by consistency of choice based on personal priorities. Invest more time developing that priority set than you spend on solving small problems.
At the end of the growing season; may you be well fed and have a surplus to sell.
.
Labels: long term planning, way points
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