Delayed Gratification: The Art of Being Disciplined | Weekbook #24

There is no sugarcoating it, getting what you want in life is tough. With the exception of a fortunate few, your dream house, job, and lifestyle won't land in your lap without hard work.

Unfortunately, our modern world has trained us to expect otherwise.

As we continue to evolve, dopamine becomes cheaper. Love can be found with the swipe of a photo. Feeling beautiful is just a handful of notifications away. When you've had a tough week, a tasty takeaway and cold beer will make you feel good again.

In short, we expect quick solutions to our problems and instant gratification when they present themselves.

There's just one problem. This approach doesn't scale.

The real rewards in life, the ones you truly lust for, are out of reach in this regard. To achieve these, we must turn our attention away from the expectations set. Our focus must shift to delayed gratification.

The path isn't easy. It requires hard work, discipline, and consistency for no matter the goal, showing up every day is the only way to achieve it. However, the rewards for successfully combining these three ingredients cannot be questioned.

So, how can you make this change happen? First and foremost, it requires a mindset shift and a commitment to yourself. You must make a decision to pursue this path and form a pact with yourself to stick with it, regardless of how hard it gets. Then you must build the systems to succeed, habits are foundational in this regard. Create a routine that sets you on the right path each day and acts as a safety net when you feel like giving in. Finally, you must understand that the rewards will take time and that by delaying your gratification, they'll exceed your expectations when they arrive.

Remember, rewards come to those who are consistent.

Reading Notes

A collection of my favourite articles, Twitter threads and newsletters from this week, annotated with my highlights and thoughts.

• Cyrus the Great: https://readwise.io/reader/shared/01gzxcv9jt2d52rbwcr1ddnr2d

• Memento Mori: https://readwise.io/reader/shared/01gzra6wdqdcxsted9y7scperk

• New Hires: Time to Productivity vs. Time to Hire: https://readwise.io/reader/shared/01gzkqcaxypc2j32gzwe2r7erc

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Ending Quote

"Good things come to those who wait" - Unknown

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Thumbnail credit: Photo by Gervyn Louis on Unsplash