Playing The Long Game
In today’s world, and especially with the instantaneousness of the internet, most people play life and business for the short game. The quick sale. The fast dollar. That’s not the ‘playing the long game’, but that’s playing the short game.
Everyone falls for the lure of quick fame or being an overnight success. Most of the stories of the overnight successes in life usually have the familiar tagline that their overnight success took 27 years, or some number of years that is way more years than just overnight.
Everyone has hopes that their one post, their next great adventure, or that one elusive idea will open the floodgates of wealth. Occasionally that does happen, but when it does happen there isn’t the foundation for that success to grow, and we’ve all too often heard the sad stories of the sports figure with a multi-million dollar contract who lives on the streets after their glory days are over.
Don’t chase the ‘overnight success’, but chase the best truth of success.
“Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off.”
Proverbs 13:11 (Message Translation)
Play the long game.
Make your aim for success to be for the ages to come, and be like a farmer: Take the time to plant your seeds of work and effort daily, monthly, yearly. In season and out of season do the work and plant the seeds of success. Water those seeds and be patient!
Be steady with your work, and continually working towards the end of your success. Only that process and faithfulness is the only true proven method of growing a business, raising a family, and creating a legacy.
The greater way to live a life, and to grow a business is to add something even greater.
Make the effort of your life something that serves other people!
Only in giving our life a significant meaning can we ensure that the seeds we sow in life will provide for those who follow us.
Play the long game… not for yourself, but for others, and in doing so you help provide shade to those who are around you.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone long ago planted a tree.”
~Warren Buffett