The Long Game

1. Create white space to think strategically

You can't pour more liquid into a glass that's already full.

Busyness trap. Many professionals fill their calendars to appear important, but this leaves no room for strategic thinking. Overcoming this mentality is crucial for long-term success. To create white space:

• Identify and eliminate unnecessary commitments
• Schedule regular periods for reflection and planning
• Practice saying no to non-essential requests

Embracing downtime. Counterintuitively, periods of apparent inactivity can lead to breakthrough insights. Embrace moments of boredom or jet lag as opportunities for creative thinking and strategic planning.

2. Say no to good things for long-term success

Saying yes to everything means being average at everything. Saying no, conversely, is what gives us the rare opportunity to be great.

Selective focus. Successful professionals must learn to decline even appealing opportunities that don't align with their long-term goals. This requires:

• Clearly defining your priorities and values
• Developing a decision-making framework for evaluating opportunities
• Practicing saying no gracefully and without guilt

Opportunity cost. Every "yes" implies multiple "nos" to other potential activities. Consider the hidden costs of each commitment, including time, energy, and emotional resources.

3. Optimize for interesting, not just money or meaning

If you're interested in building and living a truly meaningful life, this wonderful précis by my extraordinary friend Dorie Clark is for you.

Curiosity-driven career. Instead of solely chasing financial rewards or predetermined notions of meaning, follow your genuine interests. This approach leads to:

• Greater engagement and motivation in your work
• Unexpected opportunities and connections
• A more fulfilling and unique career path

Experimentation. Regularly explore new areas of interest through:

• Reading widely outside your field
• Attending diverse events and workshops
• Taking on side projects that pique your curiosity

4. Invest 20% of your time in exploring new opportunities

So often, we feel powerless about our time and our schedule, which cripples our ability to think and act in our long-term interest.

Strategic exploration. Dedicate a portion of your time to activities outside your core responsibilities. This "20% time" can lead to:

• New skills and knowledge
• Valuable connections and opportunities
• Innovations that benefit your primary work

Overcoming resistance. To make 20% time effective:

• Schedule it explicitly in your calendar
• Start with small, manageable projects
• Be patient and view it as long-term investment

5. Think in waves: Learn, Create, Connect, and Reap

Playing the long game means understanding where you are in the game and what skill is necessary to deploy at what point.

Career cycles. Recognize that professional growth occurs in waves:

1. Learning: Immerse yourself in new knowledge and skills
2. Creating: Produce and share your own ideas and work
3. Connecting: Build relationships and collaborate with others
4. Reaping: Enjoy the benefits of your efforts and plan for the next cycle

Adaptive strategy. Adjust your focus based on your current phase:

• In learning mode, prioritize education and skill development
• During creation, dedicate time to producing and refining your work
• While connecting, actively network and seek collaborations
• When reaping, capitalize on opportunities while planning for future growth

6. Leverage your time and resources strategically

We have to kill two—or more—birds with one stone.

Efficiency mindset. Look for ways to maximize the impact of your efforts:

• Repurpose content across multiple platforms
• Combine personal and professional goals
• Seek synergies between different projects or relationships

Creative problem-solving. When faced with constraints, ask:

• How can I use this limitation to my advantage?
• What unconventional solutions might work here?
• Can I meet multiple objectives with a single action?

7. Build genuine, long-term relationships

When you connect to others with an infinite horizon—no agenda whatsoever other than being helpful and deepening your relationships with interesting people—that's how opportunity happens.

Authentic networking. Focus on building meaningful connections rather than transactional relationships:

• Approach networking with curiosity and a desire to help others
• Cultivate relationships without expecting immediate returns
• Seek diverse connections outside your immediate field

Long-term perspective. Understand that the most valuable relationships often take years to develop:

• Be patient and consistent in your interactions
• Look for ways to add value to others' lives and work
• Trust that genuine connections will lead to unexpected opportunities

8. Practice strategic patience for exponential growth

We know that success doesn't happen overnight. And yet. We see others who seem to be doing better or going faster, and we wonder what we're doing wrong.

Deception phase. Recognize that progress often appears slow at first, but compounds over time:

• Set realistic expectations based on research and others' experiences
• Focus on consistent effort rather than immediate results
• Trust in the process, even when progress seems imperceptible

Overcoming doubt. During periods of apparent stagnation:

• Reconnect with your core purpose and values
• Seek advice from trusted mentors and peers
• Celebrate small wins and milestones along the way

9. Reframe failure as experimentation and learning

Every successful professional who wants to chart a new course or aim for a big opportunity will, sometimes, hit a wall.

Growth mindset. Approach setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement:

• View "failures" as valuable data points
• Analyze what went wrong and how to adjust your approach
• Celebrate the courage to try new things

Resilience strategies. To bounce back from disappointments:

• Seek alternative paths to your goals
• Leverage the work you've done in new ways
• Share your experiences with others to gain perspective and support

10. Set audacious goals with realistic timelines

If everything you do needs to work on a three-year time horizon, then you're competing against a lot of people. But if you're willing to invest on a seven-year time horizon, you're now competing against a fraction of those people.

Long-term vision. Embrace ambitious goals that require extended commitment:

• Research realistic timelines for achieving your objectives
• Break long-term goals into manageable milestones
• Adjust your strategies as you learn and grow

Competitive advantage. Recognize that patience and persistence set you apart:

• Many competitors will give up before seeing results
• Long-term thinking allows for deeper expertise and stronger relationships
• Extended timelines enable more significant and innovative achievements

11. Celebrate progress and savor the journey

We forget what it was like to be us even a few years ago—and we forget how amazing our current success would have made us feel.

Perspective shift. Regularly acknowledge how far you've come:

• Keep a record of your achievements and milestones
• Compare your current position to where you started
• Share your progress with supportive friends and mentors

Enjoying the process. Find ways to appreciate the journey itself:

• Cultivate gratitude for the opportunities and experiences along the way
• Seek joy in the daily work of pursuing your goals
• Balance ambition with contentment in your current accomplishments

Last updated: November 26, 2024