Every day, I have many items on my to-do list. And rightfully so. Major responsibilities at work, for example, demand ongoing attention to details. There’s no alternative. You simply have to get stuff done.
And sometimes it makes sense to establish time-limited goals for other projects. For example, you know you only have a certain amount of time to do something. For example, if you’re in Greece, you need to visit the Parthenon then. Or you’re confronted with a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You have to act quickly if you want to take full advantage.
But I’ve found these instances exceptions to the rule. There’s plenty of time. Because my time frame extends for the duration of my life. So, I’m better served by taking a very long view than pressuring myself to feel like I need to get results in the short term.
I love my work. I don’t know what the future brings. I know, however, that I look forward to be doing some combination of the things I’m doing now as long as I possibly can. Which means I can afford to be patient in many aspects of my professional life.
I want to write books, for example. And I believe I will. Perhaps what I’m working on now will result in a book. I don’t know that. What I do know is that I don’t have to do it tomorrow. No one tells me to write a book today. My employer doesn’t demand it. It will happen when it’s supposed to happen.
In the meantime, I can take consistent strides to move me towards achieving goals like the one I just described. I cannot necessarily control when I’ll succeed, much less what that will mean. I can, however, clarify what I want and work towards manifesting it a little bit each day.
I don’t feel pressure to write a book now, in other words. Or to do many other things that lie outside the purview of daily responsibilities I need to get done.
That’s the advantage of adopting a long-term perspective. I do the work over time, and invite the universe to work its magic. Someday, I know I will be rewarded.
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