So – yesterday I said I was going to go over how your ability to delay gratification is a key factor in happiness levels.
Got a few cheeky replies.
Mind out of the gutter please people 😉
Loads of long term research shows that people’s ability to pass on an immediate gratification with a view to a bigger long term one is one of the biggest factors in people’s ability to have a happy life.
The Stanford Marshmallow experiment from the early 1970s tested this theory on groups of young children.
All the kids were offered either 1 marshmallow (or cookie or pretzel in some versions) RIGHT NOW or two in 15 minutes.
Those that were able to hold out for the bigger win in the future were found to be more successful in various ways in later life (measured by SAT scores,educational attainment, body mass index (BMI) and other life measures).
I recently was reading about the growth of ‘Lawsuit Loans’.
These are loans given to people who are awaiting settlements in civil lawsuits, most often personal injury cases such as auto accidents, product liability issues, slips and falls, and so on.
These people have often been through a number of years of pursuing a lawsuit.
Then when it is confirmed that they have won they face a delay of up to 3-6 months before they receive their settlement.
And up to 25% of these people then, on knowing they have money coming their way, can’t wait and take out a loan to receive their money immediately.
And can lose up to 50% of the settlement from doing so.
That’s right – to get instant gratification people are willing to throw away HALF of that money.
Potentially hundreds of thousands or more.
##########################################
Now part of me thought that was absolutely mental.
But then the more I thought about it the more I realised it fitted in with the situation many of the people we work with find themselves.
Struggling to delay the instant gratification of the cake, beer, glass of wine, etc.
For the infinitely better long term benefit of feeling happier about the way they look, having more energy, sleeping better and living longer.
I’ve been there.
I think it’s something that’s both nature and nurture.
We’re partly born this way.
And partly taught to live our lives this way.
But – just being aware of it is a start.
Next time you’re tempted by an ‘instant gratification’ stop and take a moment to think.
What is the greater, long term gratification of not doing this or doing something else?
Just stopping and thinking might not change your decision every time.
But give it a go and I’ll eat my ninja bands (I don’t own a hat) if it doesn’t make some sort of difference.
More on changing habits tomorrow as I cover what ‘Bob The Builder’ can teach us about how to approach change.
Much love,
Jon “Can delay for hours on end” Hall
Recent articles:
That moment – Time to make a change
Tooth brush in the kitchen and the ninja band rack
