We’re back with the next episode of A Little Bit Forward, short, five-minute episodes designed to slow you down, interrupt autopilot thinking, and create space for better decisions.

In this episode, Simon Waller introduces a deceptively simple question that sits beneath every decision we make at work. How far into the future should we actually be thinking?

Drawing on his experience in scenario planning and large-scale investment decisions, Simon explores the idea of the “half-life” of a decision. The point at which its value should begin to outweigh its cost. From billion-dollar infrastructure investments to everyday leadership choices like hiring, this episode reframes strategy as a matter of time horizons.

Not every decision needs a 20-year view. But many need more than the next quarter. When leaders mismatch the importance of a decision with the timeframe they’re considering, short-term thinking quietly shapes long-term outcomes.

This episode invites you to reflect on the decisions you’re making regularly, and the future they are really designed for. What period of time captures most of the impact you are responsible for, and are you giving it enough attention?

Five minutes. One question.A deliberate pause to recalibrate how you think about the future, and move a little bit forward.