Everyone is Vulnerable to the Pull of Instant Gratification.
The question is not are you prone to getting derailed by the desire of wanting it now, the question is how often do you go off track as a result?
Let’s be real. Human beings are not patient by nature. Look at a baby. Is a baby patient? Absolutely not. It will scream and cry until it gets what it wants. As we grow up we don’t scream and cry the same way…but we FEEL like it plenty of times, and since we have the ability to act, we often do something about it.
And often…it’s not good.
When we are struggling with impatience which is simply a reality that….
SOMETHING IS NOT HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH FOR US…
we either stop doing it and do something that feels good in the moment, which is GRATIFYING, of we try a different route to try to get the same result. Both of these are the primary reasons that many people never resolve the thing they want to resolve or achieve the thing they want to achieve.
One is simply quitting in the moment and not doing the thing when it’s hard, and other is quitting too soon, and not seeing the thing through. In both cases, at some point you start again and have to face the same issue again!!
I’m not throwing stones here. I have the same issue. I’ve just learn to hang in there longer. I’ve learned to be patient with my impatience. The adage that if you don’t feel like quitting, you aren’t trying hard enough, is absolutely true. It always takes a while to work your way out of something that took a while to get into, and it typically takes a long time to create something of value from a start up.
If this reality wasn’t challenging enough, you are surrounded by all kinds of marketing b.s. about how you can solve or get, practically any result, over night, and shown the one in a gazillion person who had an over night success…and suddenly your brain blows up and your emotions get the best of you, and instead of step by step doing what is proven over and over as the way to reach a goal, you are off spending money on some new thing or sexy thing, and down the road, you are no better off, and a little bit poorer!
There Are Four Strategies You Can Use to Help You With This
The first one is to get real about what has happened in the past when you fell for the quick fix. If you assess the cost both financially and in time and aggravation, you will have a weapon to wield against the desire for the instant gratification that has likely got you still dealing with some things that have been around for many years!
You can also shift the way you focus on the day to day. When you are constantly focused on the result you want you will constantly be frustrated because until you are there…well, you aren’t there! Focus on the process instead. Results come from consistently taking the right steps over and over again. Everything works this way. So focus on taking the steps, and the results will show up over time.
Tell your story daily. This is super important. There is a deep seated reason you are desiring the thing you are desiring. This is what drove you to start in the first place. Maybe it is something you can’t live with any more. Telling your story about why you are doing it, reminds you of why you are doing it, and helps you do it!
The last one here is to celebrate each win or impact. This depends on what it is you are doing. If it’s building a business, then be sure to celebrate each win you have with a client, or successful presentation, or anything else you do that shows progress. So this could be about you or someone else. If the thing is completely personal, like losing weight for example, then celebrate little progress points, because they are victories and you have to take a moment and enjoy progress!
So there you have four strategies that absolutely work, put them to work for yourself and stay on track!
Was this helpful for you? Please let me know in the comments below and feel free to share with your team or on Social Media.
Many Blessings,
Todd
P.S. If you like to read books that help you live a well-rounded, joyful and productive life you might want to check out my book “Live Full, Live Well.”
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