How to Avoid Short-Term Gratification And Experience Long-Term Gain

Have you read the novel, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson? It is about a good and wise doctor who invents a magic potion, which transforms him into Mr Hyde, a devilishly clever, decadent and evil man. Stevenson was inspired by the interplay of good and bad intentions in people. The truth is that we all have a good and wise Dr Jekyll and a wild and reckless Mr Hyde living inside us, especially when it comes to making decisions. Your sensible, wise rational side wants to make decisions that are in your best instant – to eat healthier, exercise, go to bed earlier and not stay up all night on social media. The impetuous, irrational wild Mr Hyde in you wants to eat junk food, smoke, drink loads of alcohol and max out your credit card.

Understanding your Internal Battle

The rational side of your personality is locked in an eternal battle with the irrational side. For some people, the rational is winning, for others the irrational has the upper hand. According to scientific research, one part of your brain is battling another part. In 2004 Princeton University’s Science Centre carried out a study with a Professor of Economics from Harvard University looking at how people decide whether to go with short-term gratification or long-term gain. They scanned the brains of students faced with short-term versus long-term dilemmas. Their conclusion was that the brain has different neural systems that have evolved to solve different types of problems, and human behaviour is decided by the competition or cooperation between the two parts. Decisions involving immediate reward activated brain neural systems associated with emotion and brain systems associated with abstract reasoning. In contrast, long-term decisions only activated systems associated with abstract reasoning. Does this mean, you’re either born with the ability to make wise decisions or you’re not? No, you can train your brain to favour long-term benefit over long-term gratification.

Use a Reward System

One way to train your brain to go for the long-term good is to use a reward system. You basically have to bribe your Mr Hyde with the promise of a treat in the not-too distant future for doing the right thing today. For example if you are trying to shed a few kilos, tell your brain that on the weekend it can have one small treat of its choice. You basically have to treat your irrational self like a teenager. No, you can’t go to McDonalds’ every day but you can go once a week after sport! The reward method satisfies the cravings of Mr Hyde, while allowing Dr Jekyll to stay in control.

Set-up Milestones

Another method of keeping your Mr Hyde in check is to set-up milestones along the road to your ultimate goal. For example if you are trying to save $20,000 as a house deposit, reward yourself when you reach $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000. It’s up to you to decide what reward you will give yourself. It doesn’t have to be a monetary reward, you might go on a lovely picnic with your family, but it is important to give yourself a pat on the back, otherwise your Mr Hyde will take over and spend spontaneously when your resistance is down. For example if you have a quarrel with your spouse or a bad day at work, Mr Hyde will max out your credit card.

Congratulate Yourself

You need to regularly congratulate yourself if you stick to long-term plans. Start the day by congratulating yourself in the mirror. Your Dr Jekyll needs fortifying. It is also a good idea to write your long-term goals down, along with the reasons why they are important to you. Put this sheet of paper up somewhere where you will see it. Another way to fight your irrational self is to make palm cards and keep them in your purse or wallet. If you are trying to save or stick to a diet, pull these cards out when facing temptation and read them. They are written by your rational self and may bring your irrational-self to heal when it is about to take over and buy something expensive or eat something unhealthy.

Consider the Impact of your Actions

If you are really struggling to control your irrational-self, consider spending an entire day thinking about the impact your behaviour will have on your long-term. If you are gaining weight you may end up being a diabetic or suffering heart disease. If you can’t control your spending will you ever be able to afford your own house?

Build your Will-power Muscles

Remember also that society is often against you when it comes to resisting the temptation of short-term pleasure. Every day we are bombarded with advertisements telling us to eat junk food and spend our money on clothes and holidays. But will-power is a muscle and like all muscles it gets stronger every time you use it. Tell your brain that you are going to make the right choice three-times in a row and if it doesn’t feel good you’ll go back to your old ways. Chances are that these three wise choices will build your willpower and self-discipline and making the right choice a fourth time will be easier.

Commit your Goals to Paper

Again when trying to strengthen your willpower, be sure what you want long-term and why you want it. Commit your goals to paper. Be aware that you are going to run into temptations. Have a plan in place to help you avoid falling into these pit holes. For example if you are dieting, carry healthy food with

you so when you are hungry you will be less tempted to buy junk food. Stay away from temptations. Do not go clothes shopping with friends if you are saving for a house deposit.

Have a Support Network

To help you resist short-term gratifications, it helps to have a support network around you. Do you have friends or family you can turn to when tempted? Do you know anyone who’s fought the same battle? This is extremely important if you are fighting a long-term addiction such as smoking or alcohol abuse. You need a mentor who has faced the same challenges.

Think seriously about how your decisions will affect your life long-term. Also be aware that within you are a wise rational self and an irrational, foolish self and these two characters will battle each other. Just ensure that you give your wise, rational-self enough resources to win the fight!