Good morning, happy Monday, and happy Presidents Day!
I recently came across a great Twitter tweet from @DesiringGod:
“How to ruin your life in your twenties:
- Do whatever you want.
- Live beyond your means.
- Feed an addiction.
- Run with fools.
- Believe your life is about you.
- Live for immediate gratification.
- Avoid accountability.”
Wow! There’s a lot to unpack there. I believe that is good advice for all age ranges, not just in your 20s.
I would like to spend a few moments addressing mistake #6: “Live for immediate gratification.” Culturally, this is what we are constantly told: live for now.
Did anyone see that Super Bowl commercial that said “be a diligent saver and a wise investor and a brighter future lies ahead”? Yeah, I missed that one too. 😉 Advertising is designed to get you to spend your money and to spend it now, it most certainly is not at all interested in you delaying purchases.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am in the delayed gratification business. I have the tremendous privilege to work with people who understand that saying “no” to some things today means you get to say “yes” to more things at a future point.
I was recently talking to a friend of mine, who is a big spender and struggles with saving, about this concept. I said something along the lines of:
“There is always a price to pay … some people pay that price earlier in life, say in your 20s and 30s, by delaying gratification and then they can say “yes” a lot more later in life. Other people don’t pay that price early on and then must pay the price later. Paying the price later may mean pushing back retirement, living on a lot less money in retirement, being forced to work in retirement years, all sorts of choices one would rather not make. But there is no free lunch, everyone has to pay, you either pay early and enjoy later, or enjoy early but pay later … you can’t skip paying somewhere. I know this is a hard message to receive, but please understand that I am telling you this because it is true for virtually everyone.”
Now I’m not sure if that advice will sink in, but I firmly stand by that advice, and I will openly and gladly share that with the world.
Delayed gratification is most certainly important in finances, but it is also true in many other aspects of life.
I jog 4 days a week … I do it not because I love waking up early to jog, I do it because I am paying a price now so that I can benefit from a healthy lifestyle both now and into the future. Same concept, different application.
What we eat and drink, how much we exercise, how much we invest in important relationships, how much time we spend with our family, how much sleep we get, etc. are all things that will have a lot to do with the quality of our life at a future point. Being aware of this and being intentional about these choices can enrich our lives, both now and well into the future.
Here is a fun little 3 ½ minute video on this topic that I would show young people when I was a youth pastor: The Marshmallow Test | Igniter Media | Church Video – YouTube
I know it’s not always popular, and it most certainly is not always fun, but delayed gratification is critical to financial success and many other successes in life.
Please let me know any way I can support you on your journey.
Make it a great week ahead!