Many people want to work toward a long-term goal, but they don’t actually have one. They don’t know what they’ll be doing in the next five or ten years. They don’t know what life has in store for them. Maybe they’ll be in a different town, with a different job, or be a completely different person.

So, how can you work on a long-term plan when you’re not sure what that goal should look like?

Understanding Luck in the Long Game

To play the long game, you need a couple of things to work in your favor. Let’s start off by talking about luck.

There are two types of luck:

• Traditional luck: The kind where you buy a lottery ticket and just happen to win a million dollars. You can’t plan for this, so it’s not something to rely on.

• Planned luck: This happens when opportunity meets availability. You’re in the right place at the right time.

We can split availability into three categories:

1. Availability of resources

2. Availability of energy

3. Availability of skill

Let’s break down each one.

Availability of Resources

Having extra time or money at the end of the day or month gives you flexibility. Extra money can be used in three ways:

1. To fall back on: Provides safety in case of emergencies.

2. For immediate gains: Allows you to upgrade the quality of your life when opportunities arise.

3. For future gains: Investing for long-term rewards.

The first step in playing the long game, even without a specific goal, is to find ways to increase your earnings. This gives you options for these three scenarios.

Availability of Time

Time is crucial.

Availability of time means you can spend 10 to 20 hours each week on something outside of your usual routine. Most people fill their time with distractions until something demands their attention.

But availability of time is about organizing your days to include time dedicated specifically to yourself, free from distractions.

Why is this important? It gives you room to reflect, to see where the future is heading. Imagine having one hour a day where no one bothers you, allowing your mind to settle and new ideas to come to light.

You can also use this time to educate yourself in areas of interest, without feeling guilty about what else you could be doing.

Availability of Energy

You can’t play the long game if you’re constantly drained. Availability of energymeans minimizing the effort it takes to maintain your current life. Eliminate friction points that waste energy.

For example, if you wake up early to go to the gym but find it exhausting, consider investing in a closer gym, even if it’s more expensive. This gives you back time and reduces the strain on your daily routine.

Availability of Skill

Once you’ve gained extra time and mental space, use it to improve your skills. Either get better at what you already do or learn something new.

Think about this: if your dream job becomes available, will you be ready? If you’ve only dreamed about it but never prepared, you’ll miss out.

All the prep work you do is to make learning and improving optimal. Many people claim they lack time, energy, or money to improve their lives, but they’re often just using those resources without proper direction.

The Mindset Shift:

Probability vs. Possibility

Lastly, here’s a bonus mindset shift: focus on probability rather than possibility.

While anything is technically possible, that doesn’t give you enough direction. Is it possible to start a tech company and sell it for $100 million in five years? Sure. But is it probable? That depends on your skills, experience, and resources.

Entrepreneurs don’t act on possibilities; they act when the probability of success is high enough. You should do the same.

So, you don’t need a clear end goal to start working on the long term. Focus on increasing your availability of resources, time, energy, and skills. By doing this, you prepare yourself for future opportunities—even if you don’t know exactly what they are yet.

The key to long-term success is being proactive with your resources, increasing your probability of success, and staying open to new possibilities as they arise.

Cheers,

Jonas