Short Term Sacrifice for Long Term Gain
While there is absolutely plenty to be said for living in the moment and the power of being present, I think that’s important consider idea of short term sacrifice for long term gain.
Today, after one week of no surfing, I was really eager to get out into the water. But, I knew within minutes that my skills were definitely not at the level they were at before my injury. I took quite a few less risks than I do on an average day and only caught about 2-3 waves. I also used earplugs thanks to my injury and right after my last wave, I felt my earplug loosen and could feel a bit of pain from the water.
So, I immediately got out, I dried off, changed into my shorts, and decided to tempt fate a bit and drive to another surfing spot. The waves were much better and few of my friend I surf with were even there. The temptation was so strong, and I sat and watched one surfer after another catch these great waves. I really wanted to put my wet suit back on, throw in another ear plug and paddle out. As I sat and watched, I thought about how annoying the last week had been, because I couldn’t surf. And then I decided not to push it. Giving up this extra few hours on a sunday was nothing compared to what I would have had to give up if aggravated my ears even further. When compared to not surfing for 7 days a few hours was nothing. So, decided to make a short term sacrifice for a long term gain.
I can’t honesty tell you that I’ve done this in my life. In the 20 life lessons from 20’s that I shared with you, it probably became obvious that was really bad about applying this principle, especially when it came to money. I always wanted something new instantly, and I always bought it. Yet, I paid the price later on when I needed the money. The point I want you to take away here is that when it’s really worth be willing to make a short term sacrifice for a long term gain. They call it instant gratification for a reason: it rarely lasts.
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About Srinivas: Srinivas Rao is a personal development blogger and avid surfer who writes at his two blogs The Skool of Life and Stoked for life. Follow him on twitter here. |
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I stumbled across your blog today from Skool of Life and I love this post. In fact, I was just talking to my husband about this same principle this morning. Putting off watching our favorite shows now will help us achieve our goals later. Waiting on spending all Sunday window shopping or taking our kids on vacation until later in the year will enrich the experience later on. Short term sacrifices can definitely lead to long term gain!
@Courtney: I think we live in a society that’s so driven by instant gratification that we often fail to realize that many successful people made a ton of short term sacrifices for long term gain.