These differences don’t mean that you’re less accomplished than others in your life, or that you’re doing anything wrong. Rather, the people doing the “adulting” probably are just thinking about, and planning for the future. Some of us are great at that, and some of us aren’t. Ahead, we’ll break down why long-term planning matters, why so many of us aren’t good at it, and how to get better at this skill.
Why Long-Term Planning Matters
You may know that long-term planning benefits your life, but not be completely clear about why. Here are the top reasons why it helps to be able to think long term.
Financial Stability
In a perfect world, we’d all be well-taken care of as we age. However, this world is far from perfect, and saving for retirement is something most people need to do. People who live on social security alone are forced to live incredibly frugal lives. The more money you have saved for retirement, the better your quality of life will be then. Additionally, there are countless unexpected occurrences that people suddenly need chunks of money for. You may have a medical problem that isn’t covered by your insurance, your car might need repairs, or you might need to help out a family member in crisis.
Declining Energy As We Age
Some older adults travel the world and have a great time, but many feel like those days have passed. We have less energy as we age,and as such, you might have less energy to save money or to work more later in life. For some, your younger years are when you have the most energy, so the more you can accomplish now, the more easily you can rest when you need to, later in life.
A Better World
Climate change is often cited as the main example of the effects of short-term thinking. By not factoring in the continued effects of climate change on the world, we’ve gotten ourselves into quite a pickle as a species. Global warming of even a couple of degrees has catastrophic effects, as we’ve already begun to witness and experience. The ability to think long-term provides us with the understanding that our actions have consequences.
Why People Have Challenges With Long-Term Thinking
If you don’t think or plan for the long term well, it’s not your fault. It’s all about how our brains work, and many of us just aren’t wired that way. These are a few examples of why it’s hard to think long-term.
You “Can’t See the Forest for the Trees”
There are several terms in place for people who think in the shorter term. These include:
Micro thinking, rather than macro thinkingShort-term thinking, instead of long-term thinkingDetail-oriented versus big-picture oriented
A complaint about people who see the finer points in situations, but have challenges examining the larger picture, is that they cannot see “the forest for the trees.” This means that while you’re able to know about every leaf or small detail of a situation, you can’t easily grasp what the tree looks like in the forest, or the larger, longer-term situation.
You Can’t Relate to Your Future Self
As strange as it may sound, we often view future versions of ourselves as strangers. This inability to wrap our brains around the people we’ll be in the future leads to an emotional disconnect, in which we care less about the future because we just can’t relate to it. That’s right: people who can picture their future selves more clearly save more money in preparation for that.
Our Brains Just Aren’t Programmed That Way
Only 60% of us think about one month ahead on a daily basis. This means that nearly half of the population doesn’t think about a month out regularly.
How to Improve Long-Term Planning Skills
The good news here is that even though so many of us aren’t naturally gifted at long-term planning, we can do things to improve our ability to move through life more smoothly, with a better focus on the future. Here are some ways you can go about being better at long-term planning.
Outline Your Goals
It may seem counterintuitive to outline your goals if you aren’t sure what you want in the future. So think of this task as one that’s more about aspirations than concrete plans. Be general, and highlight some of the things you wish to achieve for yourself in life. Then, create a loose timeline for when you want to have achieved those goals. This can be flexible as time goes on, and you aren’t committed to any goal that you decide you don’t actually want, in years to come.
Take Action Now
Once you have your aspirations detailed, look at how you can begin to take action to turn your aspirations into reality. Focus on the initial steps you can take, and try not to worry about many steps down the road. Instead, let your short-term thinking guide you for now. The more you do this, and the more time goes on, the better you’ll be able to relate to and connect with your future self.
Break Down Goals Into Shorter Terms
More important than any other part of getting better at long-term planning is to break down your action steps into shorter-term ones so that you can understand and relate to them. For example, say you want to start saving to buy a home in five years. Begin by planning to save $100 this month. Then, in another month, you can assess whether that felt comfortable or not for you financially. Maybe the next month you could save $200, or maybe you need to scale back to $50. Flexibility is key to success here.
A Word From Verywell
Not being able to think and plan for the future can be frustrating, especially when you see others around you accomplishing large goals. You’re not alone in having this challenge! If the subject still feels overwhelming, consider speaking to a counselor or therapist so that you have some additional support.
