Patience…is a virtue, that not many of us have.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you had to have it NOW? It could range from a midnight supper craving all the way to that spanking new iPhone 11 Pro Max.
We live in an “instant”-society; We have instant noodles, instant messaging and even instant success. Perhaps this could be the reason why we are always in a hurry to have the things that can somehow ease our discomfort no matter how much it will cost us.
According to Freud the Father of Psychoanalysis. Id rules the behavior of infants and children by only satisfying the pleasure principle; there is no thinking ahead for the greater purpose. Children seek immediate gratification, aiming to satisfy cravings such as hunger and thirst, and seeking whatever they want in the moment to ease their discomfort.
We seek for instant gratification, because it is our natural being to fulfill the needs of ourselves. Try observing a baby; the moment he wants something he will just cry and his mother will immediately fill the needs and ease his discomfort.
Somehow we have this thinking that as we grow and mature, we will also grow out of instant gratification – But No,it is in our nature as a human being, it will continue to be part of us.
There are times that we want to reward ourselves with a fancy dinner or pamper ourselves with an occasional massage — it is completely fine because Life is meant to be enjoyed, but practise self-control and delayed gratification.
I once met someone who fell victim to instant gratification every single time, this led her to buying the latest gadgets and chasing fast-fashion. At 25 years old with no savings, she even owed a huge debt to her friends. When asked why she lived such a lifestyle, she answered that she chose to give in to Pleasure and it was short-lived as she continued to look for the next New thing.
An Article written by Psychology Today showed that:Delayed gratification is one of the most effective personal traits of successful people. People who learn how to manage their need to be satisfied in the moment thrive more in their careers, relationships, health, and finances than people who give in to it.
Delaying Gratification will help you to improve self-control, and if you master self-control you will definitely achieve your goals faster.
Here are 5 easy tips to encourage delayed gratification:
- Before a purchase, ask yourself whether it is a NEED or a WANT. Can you live without it?
- Limit/moderate your purchases to a reasonable frequency, i.e. treat yourself once a month.
- Create a reward system for yourself, i.e. buy that something only when you achieved a career milestone.
- Find an accountability buddy
- Having a clear vision of a bigger financial dream that you want to achieve that will be bigger than the desire of the here and now – Does your Financial decision now bring you closer or further away from your big dream? if it brings you further away, can you afford to give in?
Do you have other tips that help you cultivate Delayed Gratification? Comment below and let’s help each other out!
The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.
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