A lot of people approach life as a series of short-term games. What they do not understand is that life is not about just the immediate, but there are more to it. For example, when someone wants to become a lawyer, they will not enter school and hope for them to become a lawyer the same day, but it will take years. Even when they graduate from secondary school, they will still have to proceed to law school, because it is not yet complete. That means, one victory is not all it takes, but series of victories. That you achieved a success does not mean that you should just relax and throw in the towel. This is why you should shift your mindset from seeing life as a short-term event to playing the long term goal.
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What I have learnt about life is that it is a progression, not a destination. If someone graduates from secondary school as the best in their set in the state, for example, it is true that they will be celebrated. But after a few years, if the secondary school qualification is all they still have academically without upgrading or going into university, the same success may have become obsolete. But they are expected to have passed that level and upgraded to university for the success to be maintained. This is thinking long-term. When you consider the future in your actions of the present, you will know how to act. If you view personal growth from a long-term perspective, you will invest in yourself. One of the major undoings of a lot of people is that they see life from just the immediate point-of-view, so they are not even prepared for the future.
When a farmer plants some crops in his farm, he does not look at harvesting it the same month, but it will take a while. Depending on the type of crop, some may even take years. But it does not mean that he is not making progress. When the time of harvest comes, he will know that it was worth the wait. Another farmer that planted maize for example, will begin to harvest even before the farmer that planted cocoa. That you are not seeing the immediate result of the actions you are taking does not mean that they are wasted. You may just be sowing seeds into your future. This is why you should not compare or compete with anyone, because you may not know what success means to them. If you are to compete at all, then it has to be with the person you were yesterday, so as to become better tomorrow.
To play the long-term game, you have to condition your mind for resilience. In the journey of life, you may be met with uncertainties, challenges, and the likes, but you do not have to quit. You also need to change your mindset on how you respond to failure. In the long-term game, a missed target, or a failed attempt does not mean that everything has ended. It only shows that you need to try again and in another way. Train your mind to see failure as a temporary setback. Even when you are taking steps or actions, consider the long-term effects and consequences of such steps. Always make decisions based on knowledge and sustainability, with the future in mind.
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You also need to build a legacy that outlives you. If everything that you have worked for ends with you, then you have not left a legacy. The truth measure of success is when it succeeds you. That is, when it outlives you. It is not about what you have been able to acquire, but how many people you have raised, and what happens after you have left. The goal of a meaningful life is to create a system that will continue to function even without you. The true success is not just about standing on the podium with a trophy in your hand, but it is also about leaving the field of play in a manner that will also motivate and inspire the next generation to step up and to keep playing. This is the long-term goal. It is not just about getting to the finishing line, but encouraging others to also achieve success in their respective fields.
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