How do I justify delaying emotional gratification for myself?
I looked up some older topics on delaying gratification as a component to building wealth, but they seemed to focus more on delaying the acquisition of material goods, rather than delaying emotional gratification. Sometimes, they’re the same, but not in my case. I already have the vast majority of material possessions I want, and am very willing to delay getting anything else, like a better computer monitor.
As many have told me in the past, my greatest obstacle to building the level of wealth I desire is my inability to delay gratification. For example, I want to enjoy life now, so instead of going around neighborhoods, hanging up doorhangers, I do little beyond marketing to my existing clients and generating referrals.
Recently, I created a list of seven goals I wanted to achieve in life. Two are either fulfilled or in the works, three are attainable in the next two years, and the other two are life-long goals. My goal here is to determine how I can delay gratification now and motivate myself to take additional action to achieve those goals faster.
When it comes to delaying gratification, I have no problem doing so, if I believe two things: the action is likely to succeed, and the result is likely to provide what I want. In the case of building wealth, I don’t believe either is the case. Using the doorhanger example, I’ve hit countless neighborhoods in the past, only to come up empty. The same could be said of various other means of generating wealth.
All that is required for me to achieve my goals is an increase in cashflow. Whether that is attained by increasing my business or eliminating my debts doesn’t matter to me. The other problem is that I don’t know that achieving that level of wealth will allow me to achieve my goal. Sure, it would allow me to have the money I need, but will my goal allow me to achieve the emotional gratification I’m looking for? I think it might, but I won’t know until I get there. Without more certainty in my objectives, I don’t have the motivation to delay gratification.
How do you delay emotional gratification when you have no idea whether the means or the ends are likely to give you what you want? My guess would be that you simply have so much blind motivation (in a good way) that you don’t question the odds. You simply take action and hope for the best. At least, that’s how I see it when others do it. Personally, I need something more concrete.
Thanks for the discussion.
I looked up some older topics on delaying gratification as a component to building wealth, but they seemed to focus more on delaying the acquisition of material goods, rather than delaying emotional gratification. Sometimes, they’re the same, but not in my case. I already have the vast majority of material possessions I want, and am very willing to delay getting anything else, like a better computer monitor.
As many have told me in the past, my greatest obstacle to building the level of wealth I desire is my inability to delay gratification. For example, I want to enjoy life now, so instead of going around neighborhoods, hanging up doorhangers, I do little beyond marketing to my existing clients and generating referrals.
Recently, I created a list of seven goals I wanted to achieve in life. Two are either fulfilled or in the works, three are attainable in the next two years, and the other two are life-long goals. My goal here is to determine how I can delay gratification now and motivate myself to take additional action to achieve those goals faster.
When it comes to delaying gratification, I have no problem doing so, if I believe two things: the action is likely to succeed, and the result is likely to provide what I want. In the case of building wealth, I don’t believe either is the case. Using the doorhanger example, I’ve hit countless neighborhoods in the past, only to come up empty. The same could be said of various other means of generating wealth.
All that is required for me to achieve my goals is an increase in cashflow. Whether that is attained by increasing my business or eliminating my debts doesn’t matter to me. The other problem is that I don’t know that achieving that level of wealth will allow me to achieve my goal. Sure, it would allow me to have the money I need, but will my goal allow me to achieve the emotional gratification I’m looking for? I think it might, but I won’t know until I get there. Without more certainty in my objectives, I don’t have the motivation to delay gratification.
How do you delay emotional gratification when you have no idea whether the means or the ends are likely to give you what you want? My guess would be that you simply have so much blind motivation (in a good way) that you don’t question the odds. You simply take action and hope for the best. At least, that’s how I see it when others do it. Personally, I need something more concrete.
Thanks for the discussion.
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