Dedication is required to achieve meaningful things, but we don’t want to stick to something for too long if it’s not working, and we don’t want to stop too soon before we experience exponential benefits. That’s why I like to look at life in 5-year windows.
I find this amount of time nicely balances a long-term commitment with what’s required in the short-term to make steady progress.
There is another benefit to looking at life in 5-year windows. Let’s say we are an adult for 60 years. This means we have 12x 5-year windows during our time as an adult, or 12 opportunities to commit to something really meaningful.
I’ve found this framing really helpful, because you’re less likely to “go all in” to a pursuit if you see life as an endless continuum and feel like there’ll “always be time”. Of course, you can dedicate yourself to more than one pursuit at any time, I just find it easier to consider each opportunity in isolation.
If you currently have a passion, or you’re wondering what to do next, consider what it would mean if you go all in for the next 5 years.
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