20 Years Or 20 Minutes
There are two ways to delay gratification and still stay sane.
One way is to think longterm with regard to enjoyment. You’ll make more fruitful decisions if you focus on enjoying the next 20 years, then if you only focus on enjoying the next 20 minutes. Think longterm about how big the future payoff is, instead of settling for satisfying a present craving.
The other way is to think short-term with regard to suffering. I’ve heard the mentality of soldiers who push through the Navy Seal Hell Week is quite different from those who quit. Those who quit listen to the voice that says, “I can’t keep this up for three more days.” And those who push through say, “I can last one more hour” or even “I can do one more rep.”
Here’s an example for how I hold these two things together. I have a big dream that none of my descendants will be lost even until Christ comes back. It’s not a crazy dream, because it’s one of God’s promises, “He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,” (Psalm 105:8 NKJV). While it’s not crazy, it’s way too big for me to accomplish. I can’t even imagine one thousand generations of faithfulness, but I know what obedience to God looks like today.
My longterm dream is a thousand generations. But my short-term action is taking one more step down the path God has put in front of me.
I have almost no midrange goals. I have big dreams and today’s next step.
What do you think?
Joseph
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Disclaimer: I'm not your pastor, lawyer, accountant, economist, doctor. I’m a regular guy who wants the freedom to love and enjoy God, my wife, my kids, and my work. And I believe pursuing that freedom will make it easier for others to do the same. This isn’t professional advice. If you need professional advice, talk to a professional.