In everything one must consider the end.

Most bad decisions are made by people looking only at the next step. Considering where a course leads, not just how it starts, changes what looks attractive: the loan that is easy now, the argument you could win today, the shortcut that has to be maintained for years. It is not pessimism to run the tape forward; it is the cheapest form of experience available.

Before committing to anything this week, ask plainly what it will look like in two years if it goes as planned, and again if it does not. Decide with both answers in front of you.