The ability to delay gratification is an important skill for achieving goals. This means you are able to clearly see and commit to long-term results over short-term satisfactions. An example would be choosing not to eat a donut now in order to reach a goal of losing weight. The results will not be immediate, so it’s important to maintain your motivation to overcome the temptation in front of you now.
Delayed gratification is often needed to reach financial goals. You may need to restrain yourself from buying the cup of coffee you’d like to have now in order to save money to pay more on a credit card bill. This takes self-discipline. Perhaps you may see the need to exercise more, but you do not really want to. To increase this ability, make yourself want to do want you know you should do by keeping your focus on the benefits of results. Keep your goals visual and visible.
The results of follow-up studies on the Marshmallow Experiment reveal that those with less self-control later experience higher levels of tangles with the law, dropping out of school, and other troubles.
Further Reading: Delaying Gratification at Financial Highway. | Why We Procrastinate
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Focus I think is one of the hardest things for people because they are looking for a quick fix and not the long term goal.
[…] to reach the goal. It takes strength to take on that kind of challenge. It takes the ability to delay gratification and keep focused on the long term […]