{"id":33344,"date":"2021-04-16T09:15:05","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T13:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=33344"},"modified":"2021-04-29T21:25:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T01:25:59","slug":"immediate-gratification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/immediate-gratification\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Overcome the Desire for Immediate Gratification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can the desire for immediate gratification<\/a> lead to procrastination? Is it possible to overcome your aroused-state desires to pursue long-term goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Procrastination stems from your aroused-state desires for immediate gratification. This can lead to the abandonment of long-term goals, such as pushing off your diet to have a slice of cake. However, these tendencies can be overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how to overcome your desire for immediate gratification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Immediate Gratification Ruins Long-Term Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It might not be obvious, but procrastination also stems from the discrepancy between your cool-state decisions and your aroused-state decisions.<\/strong> Procrastination is characterized by pushing long-term goals aside in favor of immediate gratification\u2014that is, you abandon your rational plans in order to indulge in whatever will appease your aroused-state emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can recognize this process playing out around you every day. You\u2019ve promised to start eating healthier but you see a delicious chocolate cake\u2014you tell yourself, \u201cMy diet starts tomorrow<\/em>.\u201d Or, you\u2019ve committed to studying in the library all night, but your friend invites you to get drinks. \u201cI can just cram before the test tomorrow morning,\u201d you tell yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You set your goals with the best intentions\u2014while in your rational cool state. When your desire for immediate gratification is triggered, you naturally act in ways that aren\u2019t aligned with what you want<\/em> to do. Humans aren\u2019t able to predict how they\u2019ll act in an aroused state\u2014therefore, it\u2019s not possible to just<\/em> commit yourself to your goals. How, then, can you consciously work against a procrastination problem? The following experiment will clarify how simply knowing that you have a procrastination problem can set you up to find ways to work against it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiment: Essay Deadlines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Three groups of students were assigned three essays over the course of a semester. Each group received different instructions about their deadlines and possible penalizations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group 1: <\/strong>The professor let each student set their own deadlines, which would be set in stone at the end of the first week of class. They could space the deadlines evenly, or set all three for the last day of class. If they handed in a paper past their deadline, they\u2019d receive a penalization of 1% off the grade each day it was late. The professor suggested<\/em> setting deadlines every four weeks, and most of the students chose this option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group 2: <\/strong>The professor set no deadlines for their papers\u2014students simply had to hand in all three papers before the last day of class. Subsequently, there was no risk of losing points on missed deadlines throughout the semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group 3: <\/strong>The professor set firm deadlines every four weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the semester, the three groups had varied results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n