Have you ever had one of those days where nothing goes right, everything goes wrong, and you keep getting kicked in the face? I’m not talking about just having a bad day– I’m talking about having one of those days where you just feel like giving up. It’s like, “Why am I working this hard when nothing good ever comes of it?”
Effort doesn’t always equal results. Aimless activity wastes time, and prolonged efforts don’t necessarily create favorable outcomes. We can hit bad days and plateaus while feeling self-doubt. We may feel incapable at these times. We need to realize that instant gratification is not to the road to success. The world surrounds us with the thoughts of instant gratification from being able to order food delivery, over-indulging in food, sleeping late instead of exercising, going out drinking instead of doing school or work, buying a car that is far too expensive for your means, not spending your money instead of saving, and more. Technology itself has made us impatient.
As we adapt to speedy satisfaction, we will only want even speedier satisfaction. Avoiding the instant gratification trap requires delaying gratification, which means better benefits occur later and reinforce the truth that we will live even if we have to wait. But I won’t sugarcoat it. Saying no to immediate gratification is not easy. Think about it – if it was, we would all be fit, healthy, and financially better off.
Keep in mind that you don’t always have to say ‘no’ to things that make you feel good. Treat yourself to rewards after hard work. These rare treats are much more treasured when delayed gratification becomes habitual.
So, the opposite of instant gratification is delayed gratification, which postpones the desire to obtain a better future benefit or reward. Delayed gratification is the wiser choice, but we struggle daily with the temptations for immediate gratification, as wanting good things now is a natural human impulse.
We need to experience the satisfaction and pleasure of achieving when time and effort are part of the equation. Most highly successful people have spent a minimum of a decade mastering their craft – this is true grit. These people have endured despite failures and pursued what they loved, even though some of the processes are not fun and exciting.
To start breaking the habit of instant gratification, take small steps. Start by postponing bits of gratification here and there in your life – wait to open that package, don’t give in to every urge to open and check social media, prepare your meal instead of going to a restaurant or getting fast food, etc. Once these become easy, take on more complex challenges and practice. Ironically, when fighting instant gratification, you won’t be receiving instant gratification.
Recognizing that you need to fight instant gratification is an enormous step and be motivating in itself. Just like…
