I've noticed recently that so much of life, career, the moment, and politics revolves around quick payoffs, especially financial ones. What will increase share prices, earnings, salaries, election chances, bonuses, promotions, friendships, billable hours, or sales? It just goes on and on. And you know what? It’s so utterly boring, uninteresting, and, frankly, sad. If there’s one thing that undermines happiness and wellness, it’s doing something for the wrong reasons.
In the long run, you should do important things for the right reasons. There are two key aspects to this—thinking long-term and ensuring your motivations are genuine.
Let’s start with the opposite of the long run—the short run. Life is nothing more than a continuous sequence of short runs patched together. That’s what makes the short run both boring and amazing—it never stops. It’s the one thing all living beings share: the present moment. Because the present is so precious, it should be cherished as a gift (which is why it’s called the present).
If your focus is solely on immediate rewards, you may wake up one day and realise you’ve accumulated nothing meaningful—only empty victories. Life is also a preview of eternal and perpetual tomorrows. The key is to balance today with tomorrow, keeping an eye on the future while still appreciating the now. The less you invest in the future, the smaller it will be. But, at the same time, don’t over-invest and forget to live today.
How do you ensure you’re doing things for the right reasons? Ask yourself:
Are you coming from the right place?
What will others remember tomorrow (if at all)?
Does this benefit others and make their world a better place?
Is it done with a sense of joy and carefreeness?
Would you want someone to do this for you?
Make a habit of running your choices through your own internal “quiz show.” It’s a great way to keep the present meaningful and ensure a fulfilling tomorrow.
Here are some guiding principles that help me:
Integrity
Joyfulness
Contributing to others’ wellness
Honouring commitments
Acting with carefreeness
Treating others as you’d like to be treated
Chasing short-term payoffs often creates future problems—an unhealthy cycle of quick wins leading to bigger challenges. But if you incorporate the long run into today, your present will improve, as will your future. Ironically, this approach may even enhance the very things people chase—career success, financial stability, meaningful relationships, and a sense of self-worth.
So, why should you do anything? Because what you do today shapes tomorrow.