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| Temporal myopia - 'future' shortsightedness |
Time management isn’t just about being more organised. The science is evolving to understand that
time management involves managing ourselves in relation to time, and is in fact
the heart of personal management and effectiveness. Yet this terminology sounds fluffy and devoid
of meaning due to overuse. Practical solutions are therefore required to assist
us in attaining what can appear to be overwhelming ideals and goals.
One of the most defining characteristics of successful
individuals is their high future orientation.
In fact, it is believed that a well developed future orientation could
be the single greatest determinant of success.
Future orientation is the vision to embrace the big picture. It is the ability to forego the short term
temptations and rewards in favour of the long term goal. A future orientated person has long term
goals, saves for retirement, has plans that span a lifetime, is environmentally
conscious and understands that their actions today determine their fate
tomorrow.
To demonstrate future orientation the Chinese have a proverb
that states, “When
planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When
planning for life, train and educate people.”
The realm of truly future oriented people consists of lifetime goals,
not goals that result in instant gratification.
Most of us are trapped in the present, some of us are even
trapped in the past. The failure to be
able to look ahead and plan for the future is termed ‘temporal myopia’ in
psychology. Myopia, or short-sightedness,
is a fitting description, and without vision we will fumble around blindly
without direction if we fail to plan ahead.
It is said that the great Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you
don’t know where you are going, any road will do.” There are many roads that we
certainly do not want to travel down, as there are many outcomes for our own
lives, our futures and the future of our planet that we would rather not
realise!
The good news is we
have control and choices, and this is exactly the knowledge that future
orientated people use to their advantage.
Take the time out to slow down and adjust your focus. And consider these words. “"Destiny
is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be
waited for. It is a thing to be achieved.” - William Jennings Bryant
Image courtesy of sippakorn freedigitalphotos.net
