The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World

The Wall Street Journal Bestseller "The Long Game" emphasizes the importance of a long-term strategy for achieving personal goals. In a culture where we are often rushed and overwhelmed, the book encourages us to reorient ourselves and see the big picture. It advocates for doing small things over time to achieve long-term success, and offers practical principles and frameworks to apply to our specific situations. By leveraging our twenty-four hours in more efficient and powerful ways, we can break out of the frenetic day-to-day routine and transform our lives and careers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 21 September 2021
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press

The demands of modern life often leave professionals feeling rushed, overwhelmed, and perpetually behind. To break free from this endless cycle and create the kind of interesting and meaningful lives we all seek, we must reorient ourselves to see the big picture and embrace the power of small, daily changes. Just as CEOs who prioritize short-term profits often fail to make the strategic investments necessary for long-term growth, the same is true in our personal and professional lives. We need to start playing The Long Game, a different approach that emphasizes doing small things over time to achieve our goals and being willing to persist even when they seem pointless, boring, or hard.

In her book "The Long Game," renowned business thinker and Duke University professor Dorie Clark makes a compelling argument for this different path. She explains that lasting success requires persistence and effort, but our culture often pushes us toward doing what is easy, guaranteed, or glamorous in the moment. Clark shares unique principles and frameworks that can be applied to individual situations, as well as vivid stories from her own career and the experiences of other professionals.

One of the key principles of The Long Game is the idea of leveraging time in more efficient and powerful ways. Clark argues that everyone is allotted the same twenty-four hours, but with the right strategies, we can maximize those hours and achieve more than we ever imagined. This requires us to be intentional about our choices and to focus on the long-term payoff rather than immediate gratification.

Another important aspect of The Long Game is the importance of doing small things consistently over time. This means setting small goals and breaking them down into manageable steps, and then consistently working towards them. It may not seem glamorous or exciting, but the long-term impact of these small actions can be immense. By building habits and routines that support our goals, we can gradually make progress and achieve our long-term aspirations.

Clark also emphasizes the importance of being willing to keep at it, even when things seem difficult or frustrating. The road to success is rarely a straight line, and there will be setbacks and challenges along the way. However, by staying committed to our goals and persevering through the tough times, we can develop resilience and perseverance that will serve us well in the long run.

In addition to sharing practical principles and frameworks, "The Long Game" provides inspiring stories of individuals who have achieved success through this approach. These stories showcase the power of small changes and the long-term payoff of persistence and effort. They remind us that success is not just about achieving a specific goal or position, but about living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Overall, "The Long Game" is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to break free from the endless cycle of rushing and overwhelm and create the kind of interesting and meaningful life they desire. By reorienting ourselves to see the big picture and embracing the power of small, daily changes, we can leverage our time in more efficient and powerful ways and achieve our long-term aspirations. Whether in our personal or professional lives, playing The Long Game requires persistence, effort, and a willingness to keep at it, even when things seem difficult or frustrating. However, the long-term payoff is immense, and we can live a life that is both fulfilling and purposeful.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 148 x 218 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647820572