We live in a world that prioritizes constant comfort and instant gratification. I have come to realize that this in no way serves us as strong and resilient people. Instead, it teaches us that ease is the highest good, that growth comes without discomfort and that struggle is failure. All of which, I believe, are untrue.
Instant Gratification
“Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay, often leading to short-term satisfaction but long-term consequences.” So, if you’ve ever scrolled on your phone instead of studying, bought something impulsively, skipped a workout, chosen fast food over cooking a meal, avoided an uncomfortable conversation, or any of the other many ways we choose pleasure over something better for us, then you’ve chosen instant gratification.
Rest assured, we all fall into this trap. But the important thing is recognizing these patterns because continual instant gratification often leads to long term stagnation. The consequences can lead to having weak self-discipline and reduced resilience. It distorts our expectations that everything is fast and easy. And it makes us believe that slow progress is failure which undermines long term goals.
The solution to the instant gratification trap is learning to accept struggle.
Struggle isn’t Failure, its Growth
A few years ago I decided I wanted to start running. The day I finally went out for a run I made it about two minutes before I was heaving over on the side of the road ready to quit. I felt like I physically could not go any further. I remember thinking “there’s no way that’s all I can do.” I quickly learned that running is a mental game. When my brain would tell me I had nothing left to give and that I should just give up and walk home, I had to tell myself to keep going. It was hard to break down that mental wall, but each day I proved to myself I could go a little bit further and further. Over time, my 2 minute runs turned into 15 minutes, turned into 30 minutes, turned into 45 minutes. The progress was gradual and often I forgot to celebrate my growth because most days still felt like a struggle. But I had to remember that that struggle wasn’t failure, it was growth.
Struggling is uncomfortable and doesn’t feel good in the moment. But if I hadn’t pushed myself while running I wouldn’t have made any progress towards my goals.
The 40% Rule
The 40% rule comes from former Navy SEAL, David Goggins: “When you think you’re maxed out, you’re really only 40% of the way there.” Our brains lie to us and tell us to quit when we have so much left to give. This goes for both physical and mental challenges. Your brain is always going to give up before your body does. If we can recognize this lie that we tell ourselves then we can motivate ourselves to push through.
Whether you’re setting a PR in the gym or on a run, or studying for an exam and you start to feel the discomfort of “I can’t do this anymore,” know that you’ve only reached 40% of your potential. You still have so much more left to give.
Choose Struggle Daily
There are two reasons to practice struggle. The first is that it builds discipline necessary for long-term personal goals. And the second is that struggle is inevitable in life, so build the resilience and strength to persist now.
Here are some daily habits to reduce instant gratification.
- Don’t snooze your alarm
- Commit to your workout plan
- Finish focussed tasks without checking notifications
- Limit comfort foods or sugar
- Do the task you want to procrastinate first
- Wash your dishes as soon as you’re done eating
These things are simple for the most part, but they demand intentional effort. They require that we step out of autopilot that makes us grab our phone for a little distraction or lay down on the couch for comfort instead of exercising discipline.