How Long Will This Take?

We want to do as much as we possibly can in the shortest amount of time.

Our long term thinking goes into making annual plans for this year. We have quarterly goals, monthly objectives, weekly themes, the word of the day. It is as if we do not want to be distracted with where we are going, just tell us what to do right now.

While we obsess about we are doing this minute, we lose track of our overall direction. People can become frustrated and unsatisfied, uncomfortable about a lack of long term movement.

We expect life and work to function like a fantasy film or video game. We will reach the next level where our skills will be immediately replenished by magic.

We want to be able to go online and get an instant answer.

People contact me and ask for my help. Their first question is often a version of Are you a real monk?

Soon enough, though, they ask me a version of How long will this take?

People seem to want an answer in terms of hours or minutes, rather than weeks or months. They want to know how soon we can fix whatever is wrong and “get back to work.” Often, they want me to tell them what to do, or what to change, to solve their problem.

Many answers to those questions are accurate. It depends on what we are trying to accomplish. In many ways, how long it takes depends more on them than it does on me.

How long has it taken us to develop the attitudes and habits we would like to change?

How do you turn your long term dreams and goals into reality?

Where would you like to be five or ten years from today?

[Image by meddygarnet]