Life is all about time perspective: the longer the better.

Don't just live for today, tomorrow, or even next week.

Plan for next year, 3 years from now, and even retirement.

People with a longer time perspective tend to be more successful than those who just live in the moment

A good friend and I moved to America together in 2003.

He was a proper hustler who held down several menial jobs, bought a really nice car, and seemed to be living the American dream.

The rest of us went to school and suffered for a while relative to him.

This is what time perspective is all about.

My friend worked really hard for the five years I was in grad school but I probably made more than everything he made in those five years on my first job post-PhD.

He was a really smart guy but he couldn't wait or think long-term.

He wanted the money now.

The rest of us were willing to delay gratification so that we could get a degree that would enable us to participate in corporate America.

Dude is still hustling today.

The rest of us have corporate jobs. He planned for 2003, we planned for 2020.

That's the message:

He planned for 2003 in 2003.

We planned for 2020 in 2003.

And that made all the difference.