The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. They say that those who plan have many, many advantages over those who do not. Planning and looking into the future is in fact mentioned in many, many wealth building books. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Benefits of Working and Planning for the Future.
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There are various different ways in which we can all choose to live our lives, across a variety of different dimensions.
One of the key differences in how people can choose to live their lives is that they can either decide to be focused on pursuing pleasure and satisfaction in the immediate to short-term, or they can be focused on working and planning for the future, and aiming for longer term and more enduring prizes.
Of course, as with all things in life, there needs to be a balance. There’s no point in being so future-focussed that you never stop to enjoy the present moment, or to be mindful of the blessings that are right in front of you.
But, here are some of the benefits of working and planning for the future, as a general rule, whether that means investing in universal life insurance, keeping up a regular fitness routine, or working on your own business.
Deferred gratification can lead to greater and more stable long-term happiness and reward
There’s some evidence in the field of psychology that suggests that a focus on short-term gratification primarily involves the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with craving.
As a general principle, it’s impossible to “satisfy” the dopamine mechanism, but only to continue chasing after the next “hit.” Doubtless, this is why dopamine is highly implicated in the addiction cycle.
Deferred gratification, however, typically involves working on making progress towards desired and longer-term outcomes that are more carefully thought out, and that engage systems of the brain associated with the drive for happiness and fulfilment, rather than the satisfaction of craving. Such as, perhaps, the neurotransmitter serotonin.
The future is uncertain, by planning for it, you can potentially counteract some of its troubles
The future is always uncertain, and there are unfortunately bound to be struggles, troubles, and unpleasant events that we all have to confront down the line.
Working and planning for the future, however, can go a long way towards helping you to potentially counteract some of these troubles – and to at least reduce the sting a bit, if not to vanquish the potential trouble outright.
Being mindful of proper nutrition, exercise, and regular health checkups, for example, might save you from having to battle a tragic health condition later in life.
Efficacy is almost always built incrementally – but by keeping your eye on the prize, you can stay consistent in your daily habits and systems
With few exceptions, efficacy – skill, effectiveness, and insight – is always built up incrementally, rather than as a result of one-off, short-term actions.
Whether you want to become the best you can at some sport, or as a professional blogger, writer, entrepreneur, or anything else, keeping your eye on the future prize can help you to remain consistent in your daily habits and systems, so that you can keep putting in the steady and regular work that gets you to where you want to be.
If, on the other hand, you keep a much more short-term focus, those more ambitious goals and skills are likely to remain out of reach.
