scott stonehouse

Think ahead.

Think long term.

Think with the end in mind. That was one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

What would Future You want to say to you?

At 30? 40? 50? 60? 70? 80? 90?

I am 52, so I am thinking about me at 60, 70, 80 and beyond.

What do I want to do in the future? More importantly, who do I want to be in the future?

Once I have answers to those questions in mind, I can ask what I can do now to help make those things happen or become that type of person. How can I act today to achieve goals that are decades away? This is simply another way of asking How can I Make Tomorrow Easy Today on a larger time scale.

These are critical questions to ask because we are tempted to do what we want to do now. Doing things for now is easy. Doing things for the future is hard.

I want another cookie, now.

I want to relax and watch a show, now.

I want to buy that new toy, now.

And another day, week, month, year goes by and we are no closer to our dreams and desires that we were before.

Which is why I must think in decades and keep those thoughts in front of me. That will help me do things now for what I want to do or be in the future.

NOTE: This doesn’t mean that I plan to postpone my joy and happiness for some distant date in the future and resign myself to a miserable grind of denial and discipline until then. No. The future isn’t promised to any of us. I could be dead much sooner than I expect.

It does mean: One, I should plan for and work toward the future I want because I might get there. Two, I should try to enjoy the process.

As I try to answer these questions, I think of them in several basic categories.

Spiritually
Future Desire: I want to be an old, humble, wise, godly man.
Today: I can continue to grow and develop my relationship with God through prayer, reading my Bible, memorizing parts of it, being obedient, being in community with others who will encourage and challenge me in my spiritual life, and serving others.

Relationally
Future Desire: I want to have wonderful relationships with my wife, adult kids, and other family and friends.
Today: I can spend time with those who are important to me. I can ask them questions and listen to them. I can pray for them, which will help me care more for them.

Physically
Future Desire: I want to be healthy, strong and mobile for as long as possible.
Today: I can stay active, do strength training a few times a week, ruck (walking with weight) a few times a week, eat less junk food, eat more healthy food, drink more water, and sleep well.

Professionally
Future Desire: Eventually, I want to have an active speaking career where I am helping others by sharing the things I have learned from other really smart people and from my own experience. My primary areas of passion and interest are leadership development (which includes self development), faith, and the Bible.
Today: I can consistently write to clarify and sharpen my ideas. I can seek more outside speaking engagements in a variety of venues. I can update this blog to make it look more like a professional speaker’s website (in process, by the way) and begin promoting it.

Financially
Future Desire: I don’t plan on retiring, but at some point I want to have enough money to not need to earn an income. This will allow me to continue working and volunteering as I choose.
Today: I can continue to save and invest money. I can find ways to earn more money (speaking opportunities) so that I can save more money.

All of these goals and desires take time.

They also take action.

Consistent action over time.

If I want to be and do and have those things I desire in the future, then I need to think in decades, act in days.

What do you want to do or be in the future? What is one small step you can take today to move closer to that desire?

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Thank you!