Many people don’t realise that many of the problems they face are due to the short-term mindset they practice rather than the long-term mindset.

“Short-term mindset” is you acting on what you feel or resolve to in the here and now, ignoring the “after”. And the “long-term mindset,” you act now with tomorrow in mind. Human beings tend to think only of the now. This mentality manifests itself, for example, when you want to eat that sweet, delicious cake. So, your eyes see it, you crave that taste before you put the cake in your mouth. You think, “The cake is delicious. I will feel pleasure when I eat this cake”. And you don’t think that this cake will be bad for your health or that it won’t be in line with that goal of losing weight.

It is also like someone who sees an advertisement on TV or the internet (an outfit or shoes). Then, you go to the store and buy with your credit card, paying in 6 instalments. And take it home only to be on a tight budget for the next few months and even get into debt. You thought through the short term, not the long term. You act in the short term when you’re having a disagreement with someone and suddenly you drop a word, you curse, humiliate or offend the person. You beat your chest and proudly say, “I can’t stand nonsense. It’s like this with me: if you give it, you have to take it”. You win the fights now, but you lose the peace in the future. It will ruin this relationship in the long run.

That is, the short-term mindset causes a lot of problems for people. King Solomon gives us an example so common that it even makes us feel small: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6). I mean, the ant works with the long term in mind. How big is the ant’s brain compared to ours? But, there in the ant’s brain, there is an understanding that says: “You have to gather food now because in the winter there will be no leaves”. God leaves magnificent lessons, clues and teachings in nature. All men have to do is use their brains to learn the lessons.

Perhaps, you are living, right now, complaining so much about your life, about your condition, because you have been an impulsive, anxious, inconsequent person, who only wants to solve your wishes now. But you don’t think about what your current actions will cause in the middle or long term. Make the change in your head. Train your mind to think, “What is this going to do for me in the long run? What do I want: a good result now or forever?” Think about it. Go study the ant and, who knows, you will learn a precious lesson and change the story of your life.

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