25yearsSometimes you come across an idea or a perspective that’s undeniably right…

Or at least, that’s how I feel about the following idea…  (You’re free to make your own decision!)

I’ve never liked the idea of monthly and quarterly (or even annual) sales goals, or revenue goals.  You know, the kind Wall Street falls all over itself to hit, and by necessity, publicly-traded companies MUST pay attention to.

The way I’ve always sold is a little different.  I believe in building things for the long term.  I’ll do something today, confident it’s the right thing, if it may take 12 weeks or 12 months or 12 years to pay off.  Perhaps it’s the luxury of relative youth (I’m still early 30s), but I don’t need to hit any goals RIGHT NOW.  I just need to make sure I’m on the path to hit them.

So when I heard Strategic Coach’s Dan Sullivan talk about his 25-Year Framework, it just rang of “truthiness.”

In short, don’t think of what you want to do this month, this quarter, this year — instead, set a crystal-clear vision of what you want to create within the next 25 years…

This is a complete game changer.  It’s easy to feel like we don’t have time.  Like we don’t have time to reach our goals.  Like we don’t have time to build what we want to build.

And so we end up floundering around.  We don’t get anything done, because we avoid doing the things we’ve told ourselves we don’t have the time for.

But if you don’t have the time to do it, what time frame are you referring to?  You don’t have time TODAY?  Okay.  You don’t have time this month?  Fine.  Don’t have time this quarter?  Well, maybe you don’t need to.  Don’t have time this year?  Well, could you at least start it?

What if I told you that you had 25 years to do what you wanted to do?  Do you think you could set aside enough time in the next 25 years to work toward that vision of a brighter future?

Doesn’t it suddenly seem like you have all the time in the world?  In fact, maybe it’s something you could accomplish in 10?  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll surprise yourself!

Thinking toward a 25-year horizon gives you more than time…

I think it’s easy, in the moment, to put everything at the top of your priority list.  That’s because when you’re thinking short-term, it’s easy to confuse urgent tasks with important tasks.

When something is urgent, it becomes important simply because the deadline looms.  But what impact will it have on your life 25 years from now?  Will you even remember it?

However, there are a few things you can think of right now that will still be important in 25 years, that are maybe getting pushed to the side because they’re not as urgent.  If you’re looking at those things today, how important is it 25 years from now that you’ve already accomplished them?  Does that change your perspective?

When you think for the very long term, it’s much easier to figure out where your priorities need to be.  What you need to focus on.  What you need to say yes to.  And importantly, what you should say no to as well.

The perspective you get from 25-year thinking is, in my opinion, far more valuable than the sense of “extra” time you’ll have to accomplish something.  Because that perspective will ultimately lead to you being able to focus your attention and efforts on what will really move the needle for you long-term.

For more on the 25-year Framework, I recommend you start with this video from Dan Sullivan…

He also has a short book (and audio) on it as well, that you can get through the Strategic Coach website.

Have a great weekend — and perhaps start thinking beyond 2017, to 2042!

Yours for bigger breakthroughs,

Roy Furr

P.S. — Just in case you’re thinking, “but I’m too OLD for a 25-year framework,” you should know that Dan Sullivan is — I believe — 72 years old, and has set a 25-year framework for himself, to have his biggest accomplishments yet (because he wants to, not because he has to).  This perspective is worth considering!