Diana Ross once said, “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.”  Great advice for anyone looking for perspective and ways to set goals and make choices. 

Whatever your time horizon, one year, five years, ten or twenty years, every decision you make now will either move you closer to or further from your long-term goals.  

Life is making one choice after another.  Once you know where you’re headed, you can choose the options that align with where you want to be.  That doesn’t mean no vacations or time with friends.  Those activities are needed.  They can reset and restore you for the journey ahead.  When you receive offers or invitations, run them through your future-goals-filter.  Ask yourself, “Will this set me up for future success, or deplete valuable energy that could be put to better use?”