Have you ever wanted to buy something you didn’t really need? You might have been able to even afford it at the moment, but it would have been better if you waited for a little bit longer. Maybe you just ate dinner and now you really want that piece of pie, but you know you should probably wait a little bit to have it so your stomach doesn’t get upset. Delayed gratification is a form of willpower many people have trouble with. Not having some willpower to delay gratification can actually keep you from getting ahead in life, so let’s read on to find out more.
The Marshmallow Experiment
One famous experiment concerning delayed gratification was the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment. Researchers gave children one marshmallow and told them that they could either eat the marshmallow right then or wait for 15 minutes to consume it. If they waited without eating the snack, they would be given an extra marshmallow.
The researchers were surprised to find that only a couple of the kids waited to earn a second marshmallow. However, these individuals were looked in on years later. The ones that were able to wait to eat the marshmallow had fewer health issues, including obesity, and fewer behavioral issues. They also had higher SAT scores than the kids who couldn’t wait to eat the marshmallow.
How did the kids who earned the second marshmallow do it? They did something to ignore it. They either closed their eyes or turned around. Some of them sang to take their mind off of the snack.
Control the temptation
You don’t always have to have the item of temptation right in front of you. For example, if you are dieting, don’t bring cookies into your home. Control the temptation you will be faced with by getting rid of the tempting thing in the first place. If you have snacks in your home, you may be able to wait to eat them. But in most cases, you’ll cave to the temptation of that sweet cookie or piece of pie.
When you delay gratification, it can be mentally exhausting. However, you must remember that this is a good thing. You’re not going to be able to control every single temptation in your life, so you must learn how to put it out of your mind for as long as possible. The longer you delay, the better you will feel about it. If you go hours without eating that sugary snack, you’ll feel stronger about your newfound willpower. This will make you want to last even longer. Soon, it will become easier to delay gratification. You may even begin to change your mind about the things you feel you must have.
Remember, it is okay to give into temptation once in a while. We all need a bit of a treat now and again! Don’t worry if you slip up. Simply remind yourself that next time you will be able to resist just a little bit longer. You’ll soon learn how better to control the temptations of your surroundings.
