Instant Gratification is a B*tch!
Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Basically, it’s when you want it; and you want it now.
Majority of parents, have implicitly hard-wired this into us. Voluntarily or Involuntarily is up for debate.
Why do you think people are able to quit their jobs, uproot themselves and move countries, leave their partners, give up on just about anything without so much as giving it a second thought?
I’m sure most of us have been through this vicious cycle of upbringing laid down below.
The Vicious Cycle
You only need to get through elementary school. It’s all uphill from here.
Just push yourself through these last few stages of high school. You won’t need to face any sleepless nights after that.
Under Grad is like the last step. All you need to do is clear all the exams and get into a good company. No more hard work after that.
You gotta work on yourself just a tiny bit more. Get into a good university for post graduation, get married, have kids, yada yada yada and the list goes on and on.
What is Wrong with this Approach to Life?
At every stage, we are looking for instant rewards, for that little whiff of success.
I just need to clear these exams. Work hard this year. And I am sorted for life.
I only need to get into a good company and no more struggle.
Just need that promotion and then I can probably relax.
STOP!
That is not the end goal. There is so much more that lies ahead. There are countless more battles to be fought. When people are getting ready for the next sprint, you need to put on those marathon shoes and prepare yourself for the long haul, prepare yourself enough that you forget that you’re running!
Success is actually a short race — a sprint fueled by discipline just long enough for habit to kick in and take over — Gary Keller
Instill the Grind
Please understand that life is a constant struggle, you need to choose your pain, your grind, your drill, what moves you closer to you, what drives you, pushes you, even pulls you!
The marks you get, the work you kill yourself for, the job you want so badly, the promotion you’re craving for, they are not the end goal! It is never the last step. The last grind. The last haul. The last push!
Sweat more in training, so that you bleed less during war. Because the war ain’t never gonna end. As M. Scott Peck said, delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with. It is the only decent way to live.
Prepare your mind for every step. See the bigger picture. Understand that there is so much more to life than just your next goal and always remember this great quote by Richard G. Scott.
Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now.— Richard G. Scott
Feel free to have a look at a few more articles i’ve written that might help you grow as a person.
