In today’s world, where instant gratification often takes precedence, it's easy to fall into the trap of taking a short-term view of life and business. We yearn for immediate results and quick fixes, all while sometimes neglecting the true cost of our decisions. However, it's essential to recognize that success often requires a longer-term perspective, a willingness to make sacrifices in the present to secure something of greater value in the future.
In this blog post, we will explore the need to shift from short-term thinking to a long-term view and the benefits it can bring to our lives, businesses, and compliance success.
Living as a Teenager
The desire (or rather impulse) for instant results is more prevalent today than ever. Whether it's in our personal lives, business endeavours, or even the domain of meeting obligations, we often seek immediate gratification. We want things now, today, or, at the very least, as soon as possible. This mindset can lead to hasty decisions and a lack of consideration for the long-term consequences of our actions.
Our impulse for instant gratification plays a significant role in having a short-term view of the world. We've grown accustomed to the convenience of getting what we want when we want it, and this culture of immediacy can erode our patience and resilience. This is reinforced by the ubiquity of technology, the internet, social media, same-day delivery, along with other factors, perhaps more than any other generation.
A common fallacy that accompanies this line of thinking is the belief that everything will somehow work out favourably in the end. We have heard that said from many including perhaps our parents. Who doesn’t want to believe that it will all work out for the good in the end?
However this perspective tends to underestimate the real cost of our decisions, thinking either that their are no downsides or that someone else will bear the consequences, and that it won't be us. This mindset can lead to risky behaviour and a lack of accountability.
In many ways, we are acting as teenagers driven solely by our passions (and hormones). While growing in maturity (adult-ing as some call it these days) is difficult, living forever as a teenager does not prepare us to handle the reality of how the world works.
The Need to Look Up and Grow Up
To break free from the shackles of instant gratification and short-term thinking, we must mature and adopt a longer-term view. This involves recognizing that success (including compliance success) often requires sacrifices in the present to attain something of greater value in the future. It means being willing to invest time, resources, and effort today for more substantial, enduring, and ultimately better outcomes tomorrow.
Personally, this might mean investing in education, saving for retirement, or making responsible environmental choices, even when they don't yield immediate rewards. With respect to compliance this means taking ownership of obligations and keeping promises associated with them.
However, I think it means more than this. We must learn to think beyond ourselves.
Having a long term perspective is a mindset shift that enables us to make choices that are not just beneficial for us but also for our communities, the environment, and future generations. It’s the mindset of mature adults particularly those who are leaders.
Some of us had the opportunity to witness that with our own parents who gave up much so that we (their children) might have a better life. This is a characteristic we value in people and businesses, and something we need to value with respect to compliance.
Compliance Growth and Maturity
In a world where short-term thinking often prevails, it's time to embrace the wisdom of the long-term view particularly when it comes to meeting obligations. This means sacrificing instant gratification and making choices to achieve more significant and enduring success. It's a path that requires maturity, patience, integrity, and a willingness to invest in a better tomorrow.
We are often tempted by short-term thinking, which makes it easy to avoid responsibility and make empty commitments which negatively impacts both compliance and business success.
However, a long-term perspective reminds us that embracing accountability and fulfilling promises (the heart of compliance) is an investment in our future. It means sacrificing immediate comfort, like setting standards, or admitting when we are wrong, to build trust and reliability over time. By doing so, we not only strengthen our relationships but also contribute to a more responsible and trustworthy world, paving the way for personal and corporate success in the long run.
It’s time, and its always been time, to look up, grow up, and pave the way for a future that truly reflects our values and aspirations.