Practice Delayed Gratification

Would you love to have everything you want in life right now? After all, life’s too short and you probably have things you need and things to do.

However, life isn’t like that. You can’t have it all now, and unfortunately, so many people get into financial trouble because they don’t have self-control or patience. They don’t practice delayed gratification, which is one of the best life skills you can develop.

Delayed gratification is your ability to forgo instant rewards, believing that you’ll get better and bigger rewards later. It can be resisting that small temptation to buy now so that you can get the bigger dream later. It may also be that you refuse to eat that delicious-looking treat so that you can reach your ideal weight.

Having patience and self-control trains your subconscious to wait. It can help you stick to your goals and achieve success in various aspects of your life. That may be your health, your relationships, your finances, or your career.

It’s fun to eat chips, peanuts, ice cream, chocolates, cookies, and pizzas while sitting on the couch and binge-watching your favorite TV series. However, they will only give you short-term satisfaction. When you avoid unhealthy foods and do not give in to the convenience of eating junk food, you can keep your body healthy.

Resisting the temptation will help you stick to a healthy diet and be consistent with your exercise or workouts. You can lose weight faster and maintain it at the right level. Achieving your ideal weight will make you feel happier with your body, and that’s a better reward for yourself.

Practicing self-control and delaying gratification allows you to do more things in life. When you realize your capabilities and when you achieve your goals, it boosts your self-worth.

Self-worth makes you appreciate yourself more because you know you have value and you’re loved. It also allows you to make better decisions, which is important in all aspects of your life.

There are many bright shiny objects in life. Going after them can be exciting and fun, but if you jump from one thing to another, it can compromise your career and relationships.

For example, you may not like the job you have right now, but you know that you need it to hone your skills. Be patient and get the most out of your tenure, and you’ll see the benefits it will have in your career later on.

It would probably be more fun to go out with your friends and have some fun, rather than staying home and finishing your project. It’s not to say that you shouldn’t have fun, but delaying gratification is about making tradeoffs so you can achieve your goals. You may have to sacrifice the little pleasures in life occasionally, in preparation for bigger rewards in the future.

Do you enjoy browsing and shopping online, and ultimately adding things to your cart? Shopping has been made easier and more convenient with brands shifting to eCommerce. However, that also contributes to unhealthy spending habits.

Before you start browsing, ask yourself, do I need anything? If you do go shopping, before you hit the check-out button, take another look or two at the items you’ve added. If you don’t need them right now, and you know you can live without them, don’t buy them. Think about the big purchases you could buy later if you don’t spend any money now.

This temporary satisfaction of being able to buy things can hurt your finances. When you practice discipline in spending your money, you’ll have better financial security.

As you make the habit of controlling your impulses, being patient, and resisting temptation for temporary pleasures, you develop self-discipline. You won’t easily grow impatient, quit your job in a snap when things get tough or give up on your weight loss efforts when you don’t get a result in a week. Discipline can get you far in your career, health, and life in general, and the results you’ll get are even more gratifying.

There’s a saying that the best things in life are worth the wait. Delayed gratification will give you true and lasting happiness when you finally receive the bigger rewards.