Good Things Take A Long Time
In tech, 3 years is often considered a “long tenure”. We maintain open-source projects for 2 years, then burn out. We start habits, lose momentum and quit.
Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.
Bill Gates wrote this in 1996 but it’s been attributed to many others before him.
Build health habits today that lead to a great body in 10 years.
Build social habits today that lead to great relationships in 10 years.
Build learning habits today that lead to great knowledge in 10 years.
Long-term thinking is a secret weapon.
“Aim to be great in 10 years”, James Clear.
I’ve lived in Scotland for 39 years. Most of my education was here; my friends and family are here too.
I’ve been friends with my best friend for 30 years. He comes around to my house weekly to watch sci-fi with me (that my wife would rather not).
I’ve been with my wife for 23 years. We have, in my opinion, a perfect marriage.
I’ve maintained Homebrew for 16 years. It’s still fun and used by millions.
I spent 10 years working for GitHub, from “engineer” to “principal engineer”. I left with lots of knowledge, friends, fun and, frankly, money.
I’ve been powerlifting for 7 years. I’m the “Scottish Masters 1” Champion (out of an admittedly small pool) and continue to improve.
That doesn’t mean sticking with everything.
I quit Christianity after 20 years when it stopped fitting my values.
I quit GitHub after 10 years when I stopped learning.
I used to practice music for hours daily and play in public weekly, but have barely played in years.
I’ve quit jobs, projects and friendships that stopped making me or those around me happy.
Long-term thinking matters, but so does quitting at the right time.
None of the above was easy. There was sadness along the way, as there is for everyone. All of it enriched my life and the lives of the people around me.
None of the above would have happened if I’d been obsessed with finding the perfect option. My choices will not be the right ones for you. I’ve been lucky, have different preferences and needs.
You could decide tomorrow to try one of the above (and you might love it). Good luck finding what your happy long time looks like, wherever you are today. I hope to see you still enjoying it 10 or 20 years from now.
