As is almost always the case, the long-term choice wins again.
That’s not to say, of course, that there isn’t joy and value in making the “short term” choice. Even then, though, there’s no reason not to keep an eye on the long term.
When you’re going to hang out with friends, hang out with people that you think will be a part of your life for the long haul, not the people who will drop you at the first chance.
When you choose to spend some money frivolously, do it when you’re aware that you’re not sacrificing your future by going into further debt for that spending – and try to spend it on something memorable or something that will provide value consistently to you.
A final note: if you make enough long-term choices, you eventually find that your entire life has a higher quality than before. You don’t have debt stressing you out. You have a series of great relationships, not hangers-on that you don’t really like all that well. You have possessions that have real meaning and real use to you. You have a job that you actually enjoy.
All of this comes from making the long-term choice consistently. Sure, it won’t maximize your fun today, but it will make every day better on down the road.
—Trent Hamm
(Source: thesimpledollar.com)
