Those who seek only quick advantages do not finish great undertakings.
01 / Meaning
Great Undertakings Need Patience
What does it mean?
In the Analects, Zi Xia asks about good government. Confucius warns against haste and small advantages. Both can prevent a great undertaking from succeeding.
Today we can apply this idea to building wealth. A quick gain may look tempting and distract us from a long-term goal. Checking costs and risks before taking a shortcut is an act of discipline.
02 / Practice
Put this thought into practice
Choose a money goal that is at least three years away.
Write down one quick advantage that is distracting you from that goal.
Check the costs, risk and benefit before choosing that advantage.
03 / Your task
5 minutesTake five minutes to write: “My big goal is …; today I will avoid … because that quick advantage puts my goal at risk.”
Personal growth begins with one small step.
04 / Reflection
Reflection question
Which quick advantage is putting your larger goal at risk?
Let the question stay with you for a moment. An honest answer matters more than a quick one.
06
Origin and context
Paraphrased from Confucius
Our own paraphrase, not a direct quotation. In Analects 13.17, Confucius warns against haste and small advantages in the context of government. The link to building wealth is a modern application.
Open the referenced source: Confucius, Analects 13.17