Are you CAUGHT in the instant gratification trap?
Whether you are seeking success in business, finance, health or even relationships, victory is experienced when you can get past your desire for immediate rewards and survive the disappointments, challenges, and delays, that are part of the journey to achieving any worthy goal.
Your ability to Delay Gratification is not only an important part of achieving your goals, but it is also vital for long-term life success and overall well-being. Delayed gratification is mastery over your habits, thinking, emotions and communication
It is said that “all things come to those who wait!” However, for many of us avoiding a temptation that is directly in front of us to achieve something better that is down the road, can be a losing battle.
Let’s look at 3 tips to improve your ability to delay gratification:
Focus on your goals versus targets!
Consider that a target is something you desire to achieve in the future. It is an aspiration that gets your full attention, energy, and focus. Unfortunately, when you will hit your target is most often not 100% within your control. It is the uncertainty of when or if you will ever hit your target that makes delayed gratification a challenge.
I like to view a goal as the activities and actions you consistently do to move towards your target. Unlike a target, achieving a goal is most often within your control. Your control lives in your commitment. It is choosing to honor a specific and measurable commitment at the given date and time. To practice delayed gratification is when you aim at or set a clear target, yet each day you chose to focus on the goals or commitments that will move you closer to your target. i.e.: drinking eight glasses of water each day, exercising 4 days each week for 30 minutes.
Start small!
The key to success is to not ask your mind to do more than it can adjust to. For example, you can begin to work out for only five minutes each day. The reality is you would be able to wrap your head around making time to work out for five minutes. The small commitment creates no resistance in your mind, setting up a situation where you can experience success.
Being consistent with a five-minute workout and gradually increasing this activity will allow you to progress while still seeing the expectation as manageable. Within no time you will find that you can exercise for 30-40 minutes a day.
Celebrate being and honoring your word!
I believe that success in an experience rather than a target. Success is the personal integrity and trust you build when you do what you say you’re going to do, even when no one is watching. It is the experience of growing and conquering what you once thought was impossible. It is knowing you are achieving a new level of mastery and discipline. It is who you become.
Success is the magnificent by-product of delayed gratification. It is the confidence, self-esteem, and trust that is only available when you honor your word. Practicing delayed gratification and being true to your word will always leave you feeling empowered.
Identify one area in your life where you have a desire to experience success. What goals can you set that will allow you to delay gratification and mine the gap between where you are and where you desire to be?
