Many People Don’t Want to Delay Their Gratification, Costing Them Their Future.

The good news is you’re never too late to turn things around.

I understand the sentiment of having worked hard and wanting to see the results of your labor because, let’s be honest, many of us are working really, really hard, and we feel like we should see some form of reward or result from it.

But unfortunately, success doesn’t care about how we feel and whether we think we deserve the results we want.

And until we understand, accept, and be at peace with this, we’ll never be able to do the work it takes to finally start seeing some form of result.

It all starts with learning to delay your gratification.

Delayed gratification teaches you patience and, therefore, self-control and discipline.

I didn’t understand what this genuinely meant until recently.

For the first time in my life, I’m actually making progress.

I’ve become more disciplined and organized than ever, and thanks to this, I’ve seen massive changes and results in my life.

I’ve maintained my independence for almost two years (I moved out at twenty-six during a very chaotic time in my life, yet have managed to remain independent and financially sound).

I’ve accomplished financial milestones like saving six months’ worth of expenses, paying off my student loans, and buying my car.

I’ve also been able to do little things I genuinely enjoy, like decorating my apartment how I want and buying myself the closet I always wanted (it’s still a work in progress, but it’s much better).

These things became a reality thanks to delaying my gratification, coming up with a plan, and being disciplined enough to follow through.

Was I perfect? Not by a long shot.

There were moments when I wished I hadn’t spent money and felt guilty about it because I knew I could have done better/I was choosing to gratify myself at that moment rather than think of the long-term goal.

But that’s okay and part of being human, which we must forgive ourselves for.

But more often than not, we must practice delayed gratification and planning the things we want according to and based on our available resources.

Delayed gratification is a requirement for long-term success.

You can’t have one without the other.

When I first made it a goal to save six months’ worth of expenses in case of an emergency, it seemed like a daunting goal.

And it was — the number I wanted to save was around $25,000.

Back then, I thought, ‘I don’t know how I’m ever going to accomplish this.’

But I reminded myself that everyone starts from zero (more or less), and as long as I continued to make an effort to save some amount of money at the end of every week (and month), time would pass, and eventually, I would reach this goal.

And thankfully, I did. And it did take a good amount of time — around a year and a half.

I had to learn to delay many little things that I was used to gratifying myself with all the time.

For example, boba, takeout, and drinks on most weekends.

But this helped me build the discipline and self-control I needed to accomplish this goal.

Delaying my gratification helped me become a stronger, more disciplined person, which ultimately benefits you in every area of your life.

Delayed gratification ultimately builds character.

This is the greatest benefit of delaying your gratification.

It helps you become a better version of yourself overall.

One who can make plans and stick to them. One who can follow through with the goals they set for themselves — a person who has the self-control and discipline to make things happen in their life.

I’m just starting to get a feel for this, and let me tell you what an amazing feeling it is.

I feel genuinely confident in myself.

This is something I could not have said about a year ago.

The feeling of trust in oneself is so freeing.

I remember the days when I constantly questioned myself, and I now know it stemmed from a lack of control and trust.

I would question myself because I didn’t trust myself.

I didn’t know if I could follow through because I hadn’t made it a priority, nor did I try by delaying my gratification.

This is one of the reasons I’m grateful for life’s challenges.

They have put me in positions where if I want to make it to the other side, I have no choice but to challenge myself and do things differently.

Delaying my gratification to a much greater level was one of those challenges.

And it still is.

But now that I have much better discipline, control, and trust in myself, these challenges have become a fun way to prove that I am trustworthy and reliable.

Now, I’ve built the confidence and belief that allows me to make goals, and rather than feel scared or intimidated, I feel excited because I know I have what it takes to make them come true one day.

Delaying your gratification is a fantastic way to help you accomplish your goals but, more importantly, transform into a version of yourself you can be proud of, rely on, and trust.