Speaking of Short-Term Thinking

I am not alone, our society is full of short-term thinkers and our love of instant gratification.

Not all short-term thinking is bad. Short-term thinking is an instinct that we are born with and helped us survive. Besides the survival instinct, greater flexibility and the ability to adjust quickly to situations are some positive short-term thinking outcomes and short-term goals can be the sparks and milestones to stay focused on a long term goal.

However, too much short-term thinking comes at the expense of the future and is the blockade for many problems and tasks including – retirement and financial planning, health, creating a sustainable future – imagining our future selves is hard. We basically see our future selves as strangers and apparently have a hard time understanding and waiting for the outcomes of longer term thinking and planning.

How do I combat my short-term thinking? I journal, I practice curiosity, gratitude and self-compassion. I ask myself what if I stay consistent and show up for myself? I work on being self-aware and notice when I am avoiding bigger tasks or problems by grabbing a snack, or checking my phone “for just a minute”. Time blocking has also been a big help for me increasing focus and keeping my distractible, short-term thinking procrastinator nature at bay.

It is a daily practice for me to stay self-aware and honest with myself. The more I learn the more I realize the time, money and energy short-term thinking has cost me.

A quick internet search will find all kinds of articles and resources about short-term thinking here are a few that helped me make the connection for myself.