Different people and cultures believe different things for the answer to this question. The meaning of life as we perceive it is derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness.
A long-term financial plan should include these elements. Time Horizon. A plan should look at least  five to ten years into the future. Scope. A plan should consider all appropriated funds, but especially those funds that are used to account for the issues of top concern to elected officials and the community. Frequency.
Main points should show up in a business plan as quickly as they do in a business pitch or presentation. Unfortunately, many people still use page count as measurement. And in that context, some of the more practical, internal-use-only business plans can be only 5 or 10 pages long. Corporate business plans for large companies can run into hundreds of pages.