and social life, the individual graduates at a high level from
a prestigious university and is then hired by a large company,
where she has the opportunity to get paid more and pro-
moted faster than classmates who were not really thinking
about the future at all.
When you are clear about where you want to be some-
time in the future, it is much easier for you to make better
decisions in the present. The rule is that long-term vision
improves short-term decision making. You have heard the
saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will
get you there.”
The habit of developing long time perspective is quite
powerful. By projecting into the future and looking back to
the present, you will often see steps that you could take,
and mistakes that you could avoid. This exercise will help
you to crystallize your values. It will give you the internal
tools to organize your time and activities so that what you
are doing today is moving you toward the creation of your
ideal future.
Ready for Time Management Techniques
If you are not headed toward your desired destination, you
don’t want to get there any faster. If you are not moving in
your own self-determined direction, there is no point in
managing your time in a way that accelerates your speed of
accomplishment. Time management strategies and tactics
applied without a clear future vision will get you to a desti-
nation that holds no interest for you, only faster.
PROJECT FORWARD, LOOK BACKWARD 23