Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther. — J.P. Morgan

Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther.

Author: J.P. Morgan

Insight: We live in a culture that worships the five-year plan. We want the whole map before we take the first step, the guarantee before the commitment. But most meaningful things in life don't work that way. You can't see the career you'll love until you've tried something. You can't know what kind of friend or partner you'll be until you're actually in the relationship. The fog lifts only as you walk into it. What's clever about this advice is that it's not reckless. You're not supposed to close your eyes and jump. You're supposed to see what's actually visible from where you stand right now—your genuine interest, your current skills, what one honest next step looks like. Then you move there. And from that new vantage point, the horizon expands. Opportunities appear that were invisible before. You develop capabilities that make new paths possible. The real barrier for most of us isn't lack of vision; it's waiting for perfect clarity that never comes. We're so focused on seeing the destination that we miss the permission we already have to move.

Source: The Principles of J.P. Morgan, p. 99, 1930