Do you want something now, or do you want it for life?

The hyper-marketing of instant gratification sells the instant results, the overnight makeovers and the 30 day programs. Even the YouTube community propagates the effectiveness of a program based on the short term (30 day challenges being the most common).

Companies are the worst offenders as they’re notorious for only thinking of the next quarter.

While there is something to be said about the sprint and the short term gains (they can act as a great motivator), dealing with the long term benefits is a barren wasteland.

Why?

It’s boring. It’s slow. It requires a ton of discipline.

And the biggest one: it’s difficult to see progress happening because of the tiny, incremental gains. You only really see progress when you look at your beginning in hindsight.

However, being on the long-term path allows you to reap the benefits continuously as you’ve committed to it for however long it takes.

The short-term can work, but it’s not sustainable.

The unfortunate part is humans are horrendous for thinking long-term until we feel it’s too late.

That’s why it’s best to start now. Don’t over think or over plan, but adjust as you go. Make a few springs along the way, then get back to the regular program.

It’s not glamorous and it goes unnoticed, but something strange happens—you become the “exception” because of what you did.