Don’t be a Donkey: The Problem of Thinking Short Term

Are you trying to pursue many different directions at once? 

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Last week, a friend reached out to me with an exciting business idea.

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I am already overwhelmed with the current projects I'm working on, the podcast, and writing.

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But the idea is exciting, and I see massive potential in the long term.

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I got confused with no clear decision on whether to pursue it.

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I decided to sleep on it.

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Luckily, my wife booked a family spring break staycation.

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I decided to switch off from work and spend time with my family and reading.

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I brought one of my favorite books I read two years ago, "Hell Yeah Or No" by Derek Sivers.

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One of my bookmarks is the chapter "Don't Be a Donkey." -  I decided to share it with you!

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Don't be a Donkey

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Are you trying to pursue many different directions at once?

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Are you frustrated that the world wants you to pick one thing, because you want to do them all?

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The problem is thinking short term — assuming that if you don't do all the things now, they won't happen.

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The solution is to think long term. Do just one thing for a few years, then another for a few years, then another.

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You may have heard this story:

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Buridan's donkey is standing halfway between a pile of hay and a bucket of water.

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It keeps looking left and right, trying to decide between hay and water. Unable to decide, it eventually dies of hunger and thirst.

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A donkey can't think of the future. If he could, he'd clearly realize that he could first drink the water, then go eat the hay.

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Don't be a donkey. You can do everything you want to do. 

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You just need foresight and patience.

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If you're thirty now and have six different directions you want to pursue, then you can do each one for ten years, and have done all of them by the time you're ninety.

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 It seems ridiculous to plan to age ninety when you're thirty, right? But it's probably coming, so you might as well take advantage of it.

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You can fully focus on one direction at a time, without feeling conflicted or distracted, because you know you'll get to the others.

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We've all done this on a small scale. When something is urgent and needs to be done that day, you focus. 

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For a minute, you get distracting thoughts, like "Wow, it would be nice to go watch a movie now." But you put it out of your mind because you know that if you just focus on this one thing now, you can get it done and do the other stuff afterwards. 

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So, expand that situation into months or years. Focus on one thing at a time, knowing you can do the other stuff afterwards.

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Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten years.

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Think long term. Use the future.

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Don't be short sighted. Don't be a donkey.

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That does not mean I decided yet, but that perspective gave me a new way of thinking!

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I highly recommend reading "Hell Yeah Or No" book. 

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It consists of short, self-contained chapters that can be read in any order, each covering a specific concept or idea. 

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This allows you to easily jump around and explore the content based on their interests or needs.

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Until next time.

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— Saf

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If you found this helpful, share it with a friend. 

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