“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” — Joseph Campbell
“All things are difficult before they are easy.” — Thomas Fuller
Caveat: Delay gratification in the extreme just results in no gratification. (or it’s called obsession)
The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment. Everything you want in life is on the other side of something that sucks.
- That suck might be 100 workouts.
- That suck might be 100 bland meals.
- That suck might be 100 hours of focused work.
Remember: Nothing worth having in life should be easy. The things that matter in life are supposed/meant to be hard/difficult to build. If it were easy, everyone would do it. That’s part of the journey toward growth and part of struggle/craft pushing through the discomfort. The best things in life require that upfront pain. Embrace the suck.
Focus on your likes (long-term fulfillment), not your wants (short-term pleasure).
- You may not want to exercise, but you like how it makes you feel.
- You may not want to write, but you like the feeling of accomplishment.
- You may not want to wake up early, but you like the calm beauty of morning.
Remark: Wanting is the desire you feel before doing something. Liking is the satisfaction you feel after doing something. Let your likes guide you. The trick is to remember that the joy comes not from the start, but from the finish.
See also: