Patience is one of the keys to success.
Another phrase for it is delayed gratification.
It’s one of the most difficult things for kids to learn. When you have something like a cookie in your hand and someone asks if it’s okay to take it away with the promise that you’ll get it in the future along with another cookie…it’s difficult to believe that to be true.
After all, isn’t it good to live for the now? And if you live in the now you’re supposed to enjoy what you have. And if you have something now why would it make sense to give it up with no guarantee of anything in return?
Most people know that patience is good. Research has proven over and over again that delayed gratification has many benefits. For success. For health. For better relationships.
But it’s difficult. And it seems to be getting more and more difficult. How easy is it to go on Amazon and purchase something? It’s incredibly easy. How easy is it to open Instagram and scroll through hundreds of new photos? About as easy as you can imagine.
In our world today we need to foster discipline for ourselves. On one hand, it’s wonderful that everything is so easy today. But obviously that comes with disadvantages. It makes discipline more important than ever. Especially if we want the good things that come to those that wait.
A good practice for yourself is to build delayed gratification into your daily life. A good place to start is with anything you feel an urge to do.
Eating is one area. It’s easy to open the fridge and take out any food that you desire. Instead, acknowledge the urge and then go for a 15-minute walk. Come back and eat later. You’ll often find that the craving is gone and your health will improve over time.
Social media is another one. When you feel the urge to open a social app, put it down and meditate for 15-minutes or so. There will be slip-ups, but over time you’ll build a healthy habit that leads to better mental health.
Shopping is another obvious one. The next time you put something in your cart on Amazon, leave it there for 24-hours. Come back the next day and make the purchase. You’ll often find that you forget about the item for a few days and you’ll delete it from the cart. You’ll notice this one in your checking account at the end of the month.
There are lots of ways to do this. You can probably think of a few right now. Start with one or two. Then build from there. The benefits can be endless and unique to your situation. One of the biggest might be that you build habits that lead to a more fulfilling life.