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It was a holiday weekend and I had multiple projects, big ones, all needing my attention around the same time. I hadn’t taken a day off in months and I was so ready for a break.
I had to choose between what I wanted in the moment (a respite) and what I wanted even more than that (value for my clients).
Have you been there? Whether it was resisting happy hour with colleagues so you can finish a report…. Or declining a piece of birthday cake at a party so you can have the satisfaction of sticking to your commitments… Or waiting to say what’s on your mind in a highly charged situation until after you have had a chance to think it through… We’ve all been in the place of choosing gratification now or gratification later.
Recently, it has become even more apparent to me that choosing the latter equates to more intense and more meaningful gratification. I think, sometimes, we forget that when we choose “gratification later” that “later” part actually does come! And when it does – oh wow, is it way better and way more valuable than the short term, instant hit we get from succumbing to our more primitive desires.
Learning to delay gratification can be a game-changing skill in your life. Take some time today to think about where you might be able to evolve in this area. Maybe it’s delaying the gratification of relaxing until after you exercise in the morning? Or delaying the gratification of food, drink, or socializing online or in-person until after you accomplish a task? Delaying the enjoyment of care-free evenings until you finish that certificate or degree? Delaying the pleasure of travel until you pay off that last trip?
Whatever it is, practicing the skill of delay will help keep you focused on your goals and lead you toward the results you want MOST. There’s the things we want in the moment and then there’s the things we want even more than that. The things you want most will likely involve delay.
As for me, what did I end up doing when I was faced with deciding between the respite I desperately desired and showing up for my clients the way I truly wanted to? I ended up talking to my family and asking if we can reschedule the holiday. In the past, I would have never considered this as an option. Today, I am grateful to have a “What are all the possibilities” outlook. I asked, we agreed and soon I will have that time off I wanted, be able to enjoy it guilt-free AND have the satisfaction of creating a ridiculous amount of value for my clients. I will have earned time off and earned satisfied clients. Win-win.
Delaying gratification can be challenging. It can also be the very thing that gets you to the win-win scenario you desire. I can definitely help, just click here to schedule a free, 30-minute discovery session
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