Making decisions now for 10 or more years down the road is a tough pill to swallow, or follow through on. For one, progress will be slightly incremental and for the most part, invisible.

And results… well… don’t expect any soon.

Yet, it’s the long game that garners the exponential results. Amazon, for instance, ran at a loss for over a decade with the promise of a long-term gain. Try imagining life without them now.

Then consider the societal decisions (or lack thereof) made decades ago that we are feeling the full ramifications of today. To roll back the decisions of long-term thinking is incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

So, why such few long range thinkers?

I would guess it has to do with the discipline and focus required. You have to be willing to ignore a lot, commit to the goal while expecting nothing and endure a lot of hardships along the way.

It’s not very compelling.
Nor does it make for a good story.

But, the best and biggest changes happen with the long game. And right now, we could use a lot more people committed to that it because centuries of short term thinking have failed us.