Why Instant Grantification Is Not Good For You

 

Written By Leon Ho

Why Instant Grantification Is Not Good For You

We all like instant gratification.

After all, that's the way we are wired.

We run away from anything that's long-term.

We want the best things in life, and we want them now.

For example...

Hitting the snooze button on your alarm instead of getting up early to exercise.

Eating a high-calorie meal instead of a healthy snack.

Watch just one more Netflix episode instead of reading a book and working on your skills.

It's a glorious moment.

You immediately feel good about the decision you made.

But...

What happens when you choose instant gratification?

When you give up and surrender to our desires?

Well...

You get the long-term consequences.

And usually, you'll end up regretting the decision you made because of that.

When you don't have enough time to do the things you wanted during the day because you slept late.

When your health deteriorates due to so many visits to McDonalds.

When your co-worker gets a new promotion just because he acquired the skills needed for that job.

That job could've been yours, but...

You just needed to watch that final episode of The Crown.

Sure, you got an instant shot of happiness by fulfilling your desires.

But...

What did you get in the end?

Nothing.

Now, the question is...

What can you do about it?

How can you avoid the trap of instant gratification and make long-term changes in your life?

The answer is to replace instant gratification with delayed gratification.

To not give up on what we want at the moment.

To delay the desires we have today.

Instead, focus on the decisions that are most beneficial for us in the long-run.

All to serve a more important goal.

Now, don't get me wrong...

This is NOT easy to do.

After all, it requires a considerable amount of effort to override your desires.

It's a choice we have to make every day.

To resist that need to watch Netflix...

To choose to wake up early and not press that snooze button.

To forget about fast food and start eating healthy.

Still, that's the only true way to reach success.

To keep our eyes on the target and take consistent action towards our goals.

When you do that, something amazing happens.

Your mindset changes.

Delayed gratification stops being a burden to you.

All of a sudden you stop thinking about the things you're giving up.

Why?

Because you get so focused on what you want to achieve that those things don't matter anymore.

You know the time will come to celebrate.

But, not yet.