Delaying gratification is hard.
Gratification is what we call that pleasurable emotional reaction of happiness we have in response to the fulfillment of a desire or a goal.
Why delay gratification, when you can have it now? Increasingly, due to the simplicity and convenience of technology, we can seemingly have whatever we want when we want it (inherently gratifying). I'm talking: fast food, likes from a fire insta pic you posted two minutes ago, two-day shipping of anything we can imagine purchasing A-Z and so on.
My hypothesis is this: gratification can be used in ways both beneficial and harmful to us. There is a delicate balance to gratification. However, having the ability to successfully delay your gratification daily, lifelong, will led to a happier, more fulfilling life.
“Good things are gradual; bad things are sudden. Above all, good things evolve.” - Matt Ridley from Evolution of Everything, Pg.318.
Delayed gratification is a daily battle
As with any formidable challenge or problem, we recognize that in order to fully execute delaying our gratification there will be ups and downs.
For example, let’s say you are newly committed to getting back in shape.
It is a useful thought exercise to reflect on how working out today will inevitably feel rough since we haven’t hit the gym once this past year… However, that going to the gym today will be worth it once it’s done with.
By exercising today, you will be more fit tomorrow.
By exercising this week, you will be more in shape next week.
By exercising this month, you will be more muscular next month.
And so on.
I cannot tell you the amount of times I have really despised the idea of going to the gym, and yet have found a way to put on my gym shoes.. mentally ‘nudging’ myself to perform the actions that I have a resistance to, driving me to eventually leave home for the gym.
Walking through the doors of the gym (at least at first) can be quite the intimidating thing, but getting your hours worth in… leaves you with a feeling of empowerment.
Walking out those gym doors after showing up at the gym, putting in your time… this is when the gratification kicks in. Notice how this has a one hour delay?
The next morning when we feel more fit, motivated, as well as energized due to our workout is also a moment we will be thankful for. (Gratification successfully delayed).
How many times have you felt that thankful after that delicious yet shameful trip to McDonald’s (or as I like to call it McDiesel’s)?
My advice: skip the trip to McDonald’s, make a smoothie and feel better about yourself tomorrow.
Eat healthy today, feel better tomorrow.
Yet again, make rational choice A today, feel better about your future tomorrow.
Education is delayed gratification
Education has this funny, mystical, yet annoying way of operating. In that it becomes very apparent when we are clueless about a topic.
Yet, when we are past our stage of intellectual infancy on a topic, it may not be completely apparent at first. However, like the last piece of an ever-changing jigsaw puzzle we can have a rare (rather wonderful) aha moment over a concept we once did not understand. It is important to note that: delayed gratification takes time.
A great example, is when you decide to learn about a new topic such as blockchain technologies. You start of with your initial question of: well what even is a blockchain?
A blockchain = A growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked together using cyrptography.
Then progressing onto asking the question of well what kind of cryptocurrencies are there built using blockchain technologies?
Ethereum, Bitcoin, Litecoin and even Dogecoin.
Followed by a question of well what is decentralization and why does it matter? What are decentralized apps? What is a smart contract? What are DAOS?
(Forgive me for those new to blockchain technologies - a topic in which I plan on writing about more).
In my opinion, education is the continual reformulation of questions guiding our research and learning. At our best, we come up with formidable answers and hypotheses, then go out into the world and test what we have learned.
As we develop expertise, we ask more complex questions… diving more into the abyss of our learning rabbit holes. The internet is the perfect tool to ask more and more nuanced questions, as it is seemingly a connector for what were once loosely associated concepts to fully integrated ideas.
“What is the universal exchange engine for knowledge? THE INTERNET.”
Taking the plunge into viewing our education as a lifelong endeavor, is a critical step towards getting more comfortable with the idea of delayed gratification. This is the step of recognizing that there is always something else to learn in our given specialty, or even developing a new generalist lens on a specific concept.
So HODL (hold) your ground as the bitcoiners say… especially in terms of pursuing a lifelong education.
Read articles on crypto today, be knowledgeable about crypto tomorrow.
Before you know it, you’ll be able to have a conversation on something such as crypto and be surprised by your new-found knowledge on this topic!
Trust the process.
Delayed gratification is the way to a happy life
Rewards that don’t come to us in an instant, although at times can be pestering, are always more genuinely fulfilling when the time comes.
Delayed gratification is the continual choice of resisting temptation for pleasure in the immediate term, while taking the step towards a valuable and more sustainable reward in the long-term!
Delayed gratification is a daily practice.
Make a good decision today, be happy about that decision tomorrow.
Take a well-earned day off this weekend, be geared and ready for next week.
Quit that job you despise today, look back a year later as you are doing something you are truly passionate about.
Don't give up on the thing you want most for what you want now.
Delayed gratification is a lifelong practice.
Cheers to lifelong learning,
Adam Bartley
Parting Note
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