3 principles of long-term thinking to help you plan for the future

If we waste money now, in a few years we may have to go into debt. If we spend little time with our children now, we will not have strong trusting relationships when they grow up. If we are now wasting time on nonsense, we will not get ahead in life and in our careers. Therefore, it is very important to think about the future. Well-known blogger Trent Hamm outlined three main principles of this thinking.

Three principles of long-term thinking

1. If what you are doing today is not beneficial in the future, you shouldn't do it at all

If you cannot clearly formulate what positive result a particular action will bring in the future (in a few months or years), then this action should not be taken at all. This principle can be applied in any area.

For example, when we sit down to eat, our short-term thinking advises us to put on our plate as much of the tastiest food as possible, although this is harmful in the long run. It would be more useful to eat varied, but not overeat.

Or when we are thinking about things to do in the evening, short-term thinking pushes us to relax, surf the Internet, or watch a TV series. But in the long run, there is no benefit to it. It would be much more beneficial to spend time with family or friends, take online courses or read to learn something new, exercise to improve your health, or do some household chores that you won't have time for later.

2. Thinking about the future does not mean that you have to suffer in the present

You just need to take a new approach to your habits. For example, you want to cut your expenses. This may seem very complicated at first. But you need to try different financial strategies and understand which ones are right for you.

If you want to spend your free time in a different way, try to replace what you are doing now, find something that gives you pleasure and helps you realize yourself. Everything else is just not worth the time.

3. Constantly evaluate your choices and do not be afraid to criticize yourself

We are all prone to short-term thinking. This helped our ancestors survive. But now this kind of thinking can get in our way.

This does not mean that you should always think only about the future. Sometimes it's helpful to take a step back, evaluate your actions, consider why you are doing this, and try to change things for the better.

For example, you might consider your day-to-day decisions while commuting or doing something that doesn't require your full concentration. Just remember everything that you have done recently and assess the impact of these actions on your future. If you do not find any positive consequences or even see negative ones, think about how you could spend your time, effort and money in a different way.

Another approach is record keeping. Take a few minutes a day to assess your actions and mistakes. Think about how to turn useful actions into habits and what to do to avoid repeating this or that mistake.

How to improve your future

First, imagine what your future will look like. This is quite difficult because people usually see their future as being overly optimistic. But it's not worth inventing an apocalyptic scenario either. Just try to imagine what exactly will happen if you continue to live exactly as you do today.

Is your capital growing from year to year? How much has it increased or decreased over the past year? If everything develops in about the same way as it is now, what will your income be in 10 years?
How are you doing with your career? Are you gaining new skills that can be useful for you to improve? Is there a risk that in 10 or 20 years your work will be automated? What will you do about this?
Are you satisfied with your relationships with other people? Do you have close friends you can rely on? If not, what are you doing to find them? Is your marriage strong? What do you do day in and day out to maintain a close relationship with your family?
What is your health condition? Are you at a normal weight? Are you moving enough? Are you eating right?

There is almost always an area that you are not entirely happy with. This is good because it means you want to improve your life in the future.

Identify the areas that concern you the most and start making long-term choices on a regular basis.

If you are worried about your health, start eating better and exercise more often. It is not at all necessary to radically change your life right away. Just think about your future self when sitting at the computer or choosing what to eat for dinner.

Whatever area of your life you want to improve - financial, professional, social, spiritual - look at the choices you make today, and then ask yourself what will be more beneficial in the long run.

And don't forget that the purpose of this mindset is not to become a person who always leads an ideal lifestyle. It's impossible. You just need to remember about your future. You want to have a good life in a few years, so let that motivate you to make the right choice today. Let it help you set ambitious goals and achieve them.