Play The Long Game

It values what we can measure quickly over what matters deeply.

When we judge our investments by their 90-day returns, we're selecting for the ordinary, the incremental, the safe bet.

Transformation doesn't live on that timeline.

The early-morning lift feels like a waste—until you’re the one still strong in the fourth quarter.
The career move makes no sense until it positions you for an opportunity nobody else saw.
The product launch looks like a failure—until the market can't live without it.

Here's the paradox:

The more others stay trapped in short-term thinking,
The more valuable long-term thinking becomes.

This isn't about abandoning measurement. It's about measuring what matters, when it matters.

The question isn't "What's the ROI?" but "What's the ROI over what timeframe?"

Ask that, and the calculus shifts.
That's your opportunity.

So––Invest in what stretches you, even if it won’t show up on this quarter’s report.
Start with what sharpens you, even if no one’s watching.
Stick with what matters, especially if the payoff was supposed to take some time.

Play the long game in a short-term world, and you don't just win different rewards—you win at a different game entirely.