Play the Long Game

Every Christmas our clinic receives a ton of chocolate. Patients love to show their gratitude by buying us gifts and for whatever reason it always seems to be chocolate.

We appreciate the gratitude and accept the gifts with open arms. We then proceed to pile the chocolate in the staff room and pick away at the open boxes. Nearly two months on from Christmas, we have barely put a dent in our stock and have a stack of unopened boxes on top of our counter.

Often as I pass by the chocolate in the staff room I’ll eat one, and go on about the day. If feels great in the moment but afterwards I sometimes regret it. Assuming each piece is 50 Calories, that’s not such a big deal, right?

Only after I eat the chocolate do I think about Mrs. D — she’s an 87 year old ex Olympian whom I have the privilege of seeing in clinic. Although her competition days are behind her, she still trains five days a week under the direction of a professional trainer.

Her only medical issues are hypothyroidism for which she takes medicine. Otherwise, she’s pill free. She has no hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, or other chronic conditions that tend to accumulate as we age. Even if she wasn’t 87 she is doing exceptionally well.

What does she have to do with chocolate?

When I eat chocolate I’m playing the short game. When Mrs. D trains, she’s playing the long game.

When I see the chocolate, my brain knows how good I will feel right now if I eat it. It’s less good at anticipating how I will feel tomorrow, after eating the chocolate. It’s pretty much impossible for my brain to accurately think about how I will feel one year from now. In short my mind places the enjoyment of the chocolate in this moment over the consequences in the future. This is something called time inconsistency, or hyperbolic discounting. When I eat chocolate for pleasure now, I am playing the short game. Other examples of playing the short game are:

• The student who goes to college to party
• The blogger who gets lost in Reddit instead of writing that next article
• The professional who manages her depression with alcohol
• The diabetic who eats out every day
• The busy parent who gives his child an iPad
• The indebted couple who spends their money on a vacation

On the other hand when Mrs. D goes to the gym she knows the short term is going to be very hard. She’s going to have to endure physical discomfort as she exercises. The harder she pushes herself, the more discomfort she’ll have to endure. However the more discomfort she endures and the fitter she becomes, the better things will become in the future. She is willing to suffer today for a better tomorrow.

Examples of playing the long game are:

• The student who pursuing advanced degrees, giving up social status and income today
• The blogger who write every day — regardless of the quality
• The professional who establishes a relationship with a therapist, even when everything is well
• The diabetic who meal plans and brings a lunch every day
• The busy parent who makes time to play with and interact with his child
• The couple who pays off the credit card every month

Thinking about this further, a pretty good rule of thumb is that if you enjoy it now, it’s probably bad for you later. Furthermore, the more you enjoy it now, the worse it probably is for you tomorrow (think drugs, alcohol, easy sex, fast food, etc). Alternatively, if it makes you uncomfortable today, it’s probably good for you tomorrow. The more uncomfortable you are today the better it is for you tomorrow (think strenuous exercise, aggressively saving money, serious business or academic pursuit, etc).

My 50 Cal piece of chocolate habit may feel good in the moment, but what’s the long term cost? Instead I should be like Mrs. D and play the long game.