Planning for the long-term
Many important things we want to accomplish do not happen overnight. It takes months or years to get them right. The problem is, we do not want to wait so long. We want instant results.
Our shorter attention spans, caused by constant instant gratifications, definitely don't improve the situation. It is hard to focus on something for a long time like reading a book or practicing the new skill.
Who wants to sit for two hours and read a book, getting confused many times and leaving the reading session with more questions than at the beginning? The level of gratification is higher to watch 10 different videos and numerous reels on completely random topics.
Take a moment and think of something you have wanted to achieve or have for a long time, but you haven't started yet because you don't know where to start.
My own personal long-term wishes are to lose a few extra kilos of weight, to get good at writing, and to learn how to draw. I find myself often searching online for phrases like "how to start x/y/z"? Honestly speaking, I know where to start but I do not know a quick way to accomplish these goals. My honest search phrase would be "I do not want to wait three years to learn how to draw with my current drawing book, please show me a method to get good at drawing until next week latest".
We don't (can't?) focus on long-term projects anymore. We want to see outcomes right away. There is no wonder that there are so many fans of more extreme but unrealistic approaches like "transform your life in 6 months" or "become a new person with this Goggins style routine". Everyone knows none of these work, but they still fall for them because these approaches promise outcomes in short timeframes. We all know the only real outcome is: burning out and giving up after an even a shorter time.
Herman wrote an article about intentional, slow growth. Although a major part of it talks about growth in business, the concept resonated with me. I believe it can be applied to personal goals and personal growth as well.
Long-term happiness comes from achieving objectives that require long time horizons.
You do not have to give up your normal life to accomplish your long-term wishes in the fastest possible way. What you need to do instead is to extend your time horizon. How about a few years instead of a few weeks or months? Try doing something small each day/week/month towards your goal.
You're not reducing the amount of work, you are dividing it into doable steps over longer time. By extending your time horizon, you increase your chances of not giving up, because working on your goals fits better with all other aspects of life.
It is slow, and might seem boring. Trust me, it is not. The satisfaction comes not from how fast you are, but from knowing that you are on your way.