Something that we find naturally strenous to concieve is understanding that we’re wired for short term pleasure.

How can something so damaging be wired so deeply within ourselves?

We actively seek this everywhere we look, and unfortunately, it’s one of our worst qualities as an specie.

It denies us the hindsight that we so often see in many different scenarios, that good things come out of long term thinking.

Of the top of my head:

• Working out

• Eating healthy

• Reading

• Sleeping enough

• etc

It’s the paradox of our existence.

WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR 99% OF THE SITUATIONS WE FACE, YET WE CAN’T FORCE OURSELVES TO DO SO.

It’s carved into our deepest parts of our brains that immediate satisfaction precedes long term satisfaction.

Hence why nowadays, one of the most valuable skills is being able to “delay gratification”.

We all know about Mischel’s experiment and the so called “marshmellow test”.

If not, alow me to remind you of it.

Long story short, scientists were able to find a correlation between kids being able to delay gratification by waiting a longer period of time in exchange of a bigger reward (2 marshmellows over 1) with higher SAT scores and future work success.

So, there’s no doubt about the power of delayed gratification sincein nearly every field we´re required to do something rather than the easier path. Though the question remains:

How can we cultivate the skill of delayed gratification?

Here’s a refreshener of the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, a topic I recently discussed on:

Research found an area of the brain (anterior mid-cingulate cortex) that literally grows everytime we do something we don’t want to, regardless of how small or big it is.

In english?

Basically you can workout your willpower just like you would do so with your biceps.

The catch?

Just as any other muscle, if you don’t use it/train it,not only does it stop growing but it also decreases in size just as fast.

So, back to how can we cultivate delayed graticication?

The answer?

Practice. 

And as always, start small.

My recomendation?

Use the Seinfield Strategy as award winning author James Clear calls it.

One of the worlds most successful comedians, Jerry Seinfield reached the top of his carreer by 1998 where he made a little over $ 267 millions in a single year.

But what made Seinfield stand out above anyone else was his consistency.

A story told by Brad Isaac a comedian who asked Seinfield on advice on how to succeed on comedy, raised some information as to how we has able to succeed at that level.

After a thoughtful conversation, Jerry’s answer went something like this.

No results, no nothing. All he mentioned was the process.

Jerry didn’t cared about motivation, he didn’t cared about better jokes, he just cared to show up.

He knew that as long as he was doing the same thing everyday, over and over again, success was simply a byproduct of his efforts.

Essentially he trusted the process.

So what’s left for us to do?

Well, pick up a calendar and start out own chain and see it for yourself.

📜Quotes to start the week right:

"Success is the product of daily habits not once-in-a-lifetime transformation."

- James Clear

“One day at a time. It sounds so simple. It actually is simple but it isn’t easy: It requires incredible support and fastidious structuring.”

- Russell Brand

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.

- Stephen Covey

📝Journal prompts to write on:

• What could I start now that my 5-years-from-now me would be proud of?

• What daily habit could have a massive change on the way I live?

• What is something I haven’t been consistent on lately?