Yesterday, No Impact Man posted about severing his link to the power grid. It got him thinking about salt, coffee, and instant gratification. He says:
what’s confounding me at the moment is trying to figure out how to have everything I want at a moment’s notice without making any packaging trash. My mind is conditioned to believe that if I can’t have it right now—RIGHT NOW!—then I’m deprived.
You’ve probably experienced this at some time or another: a diet, a camping trip. But how much do you notice it in your everyday life?
For today’s Point of Focus exercise, try to pay attention each time you seek instant gratification. If you like, make a note of it in your journal.
Some things will be easy to notice: chocolate chip cookies, a new pair of shoes. Other desires will be so habitual, they may fade into the background: salt for our food, a hot shower. What would happen, mentally and physically, if you delayed gratification for a minute, an hour, a day?
At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect on your experience. Did anything surprise you? Did your behavior change as your attention shifted?
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