Long-term planning is tough. With all the pressures and distractions of daily life, it’s often a hassle to stop and consider whether what we’re doing at any given moment is putting us on track toward our future goals. And if the answer is no, it often takes even more effort to consciously change course and sacrifice immediate gratification for long-term gain.

Long-term thinking is difficult for anyone, but especially for those living paycheck to paycheck. Does that mean “longtermism” is only for the privileged? The answer is no, according to the futurist Ari Wallach, author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs.

Although it might be harder for some people to consider how our current actions will affect the future, it’s a moral question that we all should ask ourselves.