Westend61 / Getty Images
Have you ever felt like others were getting ahead in life but you weren’t?
Maybe a friend bought a house, and you haven’t even considered saving for a down payment.
Some of us are great at that, and some of us aren’t.
Westend61 / Getty Images
If you’ve wondered why people are bad at long-term planning, you’re not alone.
And, only 35% of people say they think about the future at all once a week.
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 forretirementis something most people need to do.
Additionally, there are countless unexpected occurrences that people suddenly need chunks of money for.
In turn, it’s possible for you to feel more relaxed and less stressed in your everyday life.
The ability to think long-term provides us with the understanding that our actions have consequences.
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.
This means that nearly half of the populationdoesn’tthink about a month out regularly.
And just 30% of us think about a year ahead regularly, or several times a week.
Here are some ways you’re able to go about being better at long-term planning.
So think of this task as one that’s 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.
Instead, let your short-term thinking guide you for now.
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 might assess whether that felt comfortable or not for you financially.
Flexibility is key to success here.
You’re not alone in having this challenge!
If the subject still feels overwhelming, consider speaking to acounselor or therapistso that you have some additional support.
Institute for the Future.The American Future Gap.
AARP.5 people share how they live on social security benefits alone.
Manini TM.Energy expenditure and aging.Ageing Res Rev.
2010 Jan;9(1):1.
2009 Jun 1;4(4):2806.
Hershfield HE.Future self-continuity: how conceptions of the future self transform intertemporal choice.Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2011 Oct;1235:3043.
