The 7-Year Rule That Saved My Career

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Jan 27, 2026 · 7m

century ago, most of us wouldn’t have lived past 30—especially young men, lost to war and hardship. Today, we face a new challenge: living long enough to feel the grind. That means normalizing the slow, often frustrating reality of progress. In business, even the best companies—growing at 10% a year—take seven years to double your money. The same is true for life’s big goals: every day requires showing up, enduring setbacks, feeling foolish, and sometimes pushing through short bursts of intense work. The rest of the time, it’s steady effort, small steps, and ignoring the people who have never…