Eric Markowitz interviewed Seth Godin for his column “The Long Game.” His first question got right to the point: “What’s the hardest part of committing to the long game that no one talks about?” Seth’s answer has been sitting with me for a while:
I think the thing that doesn’t get talked about is that no one wants to admit they’re a short-term thinker. We fool ourselves into believing we’re committed to something for the long haul, but we’ve been trained since childhood to be tactical, to chase the short-term win, to have a short attention span. So I think the hard part is acknowledging that we’re often frustrated because we are thinking short-term. Once we open that door and recognize it, we can start leaning into a longer arc.
In order to get myself back together as an author, my idea was to try and publish a short book as my first project for each year. This way, I would release at least one book each year and get more reps in. I’ve made good progress on such a book this year so far, but I’m nowhere near publishing it, and the year will soon be half over. If I keep going at this pace, I’ll never get to the longer, more complicated but also more substantial books I really want to stake my name on. So maybe, I’m missing the point!
The same applies to useful distractions. They might be useful in the sense that they’re still aligned with my overall goal of being an author, but if they keep me from writing the most important book I could possibly write, they’re still distractions!
The most short-term thinking is the most obvious. When I’m dealing with Pokémon cards, looking at my stock portfolio for the 1,000th time without changing anything, or chasing some other financial quick win, I know I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s the slightly less short-term thinking that’s more pernicious. The “this fits in” kind of stuff that’s easy to justify yet still detracts from where we’re actually tying to go.
If you want a real shot at being a world-class author, you have to express the realest version of yourself. Dig out the truest, most compelling story you can, and share it with the world in the best shape you can polish it into. Whether you’re playing tennis, running for office, or making a home, that part always stays the same: Contribute the magic only you can work, and the universe will decide the rest.
Lean into a longer arc. Don’t let the audience distract you. And when you find yourself on a parallel road veering off the true path, ask: How long-term are you actually thinking?
