We live in an instant society that has shortened our attention spans. The ever-increasing numbers and types of available distractions, and the way we respond to them, are undermining our ability to build a long-term successful business.
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The simple fact of life is that most of us prefer short-term comfort and pleasure in lieu of long-term gain. We are willing to trade a momentary and fleeting activity that produces an immediate reward over non-gratifying activities that will, over time, produce long-term happiness and satisfaction that far exceeds the instant gratification we might get in the moment.
Put another way, many have developed habits and patterns of seeking short-term pleasure that actually rob them of a life-transforming future.
A case study in prioritizing short-term comfort over long-term gain
The insistence on short-term comfort can dramatically affect the future. I recently worked with a young couple looking to buy their first home. The wife had been raised in an impoverished environment wholly dependent on government assistance. She had never known anything other than subsidized rentals and was in the habit of maxing out credit cards and living check-to-check.
Her young husband, on the other hand, was raised in a home where saving and investing were elevated to the level of divine attributes. His parents, wanting to help their son and his wife succeed, offered to buy them a home using cash and then provide a zero-down loan at a below-market rate.
The caveat was that the monthly payments had to fall into acceptable debt-ratio parameters. The wife refused to get a job of her own, so the only qualifying income was the husband’s.
As they began their search, the wife set parameters that significantly exceeded their financial capabilities. She was insistent that the home they purchased meet her requirements and, consequently, would not negotiate or listen to reason in any way. She repeatedly offered up homes that were far outside their budget and, when the parents refused to accommodate, would get angry, then look for another home that was again outside the parameters.
The husband finally abandoned any hope of buying and went out and rented a home that met the wife’s demands. Instead of limiting her short-term demands for the long-term benefits of homeownership, coupled with the ability to begin growing wealth, she insisted on her own immediate comfort and, as a result, walked away from an amazing opportunity and seriously limited their future prospects.
As humans beings, we are hardwired to prioritize short-term pleasures. The allure of instant gratification and immediate reward is a key psychological trigger that is often enhanced by cultural influences. We live in a society that constantly bombards us with a never-ending barrage of temptations: regardless of where we turn, enticements are blatantly shoved in our faces.
Making matters worse, our culture as a whole does not validate the effort required for long-term gains, which usually requires delayed gratification which is often accompanied by a need for endurance in the face of prolonged effort and even discomfort.
When it comes to establishing a career, especially in an industry such as real estate which requires prolonged adherence to mundane and boring tasks such as calling, door knocking, open houses and the like, the inability to hunker down and focus over long periods of time can effectively derail any chances of a successful future.
To understand the pervasiveness of this issue, it is important to understand seven key factors that contribute to prioritizing short-term labor over long-term benefits.
Our brain
The brain is hardwired with distinct regions that respond differently to immediate or delayed rewards. The limbic system controls emotions and produces dopamine, which is released by activities providing immediate rewards which in turn produces a sensation of pleasure and produces motivation to continue the activity.
The prefrontal cortex, on the other hand, is the region that produces the logical thought required to accept long-term consequences instead of immediate gratification. Unfortunately, It does not have a “booster” of its own, meaning there is no immediate reward for making logical decisions. These two regions regularly compete and, unfortunately, logic often loses to dopamine.
Our society
Modern society is built on the premise of instant gratification. Why spend time saving your money to purchase an item you want or need when you can go out and slap a piece of plastic on the counter? Why wait a whole week to watch the next episode of your favorite show when you can binge watch a series over a weekend? Why go to the store and search for a product when you can go on Amazon and have it on your front porch the following morning (sometimes the same day)?
Our society’s litany of available products, services and entertainment options provide quick hits of pleasure which reinforce the dopamine cycle, making it more difficult to delay gratification with long-term activities.
Our biology
Our bodies quickly adapt to pleasurable experiences, requiring ever-increasing stimuli to provide the same level of enjoyment. This frequently leads to individuals constantly seeking more intense short-term pleasures, making it exceedingly difficult to consider long-term rewards.
A classic example is the drug addict who loses sight of anything except their next fix. They begin with relatively mild substances that quickly escalate to hardcore drugs in an ever-escalating spiral.
Our psychology
People have a tendency to overvalue short-term rewards and undervalue long-term payoffs. Why wait for something we cannot see when something we know is pleasurable is right in front of us?
Personally, when writing articles such as this that demand considerable study and a good deal of time planted in my chair in order to get my thoughts on paper, I constantly find myself wanting to get up and go do something else.
Laziness is also a factor: we like things to be simple and easy. It is easier to indulge in activities that provide immediate pleasures than to put in the effort required for long-term gains.
Let’s face it: sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end dialing through your database or making cold calls is not at the top of my list of “fun things to do.” I would personally rather do almost anything else than the things I know need to be done consistently if I want to grow my business.
Our ease
Just between you and me, a visit to a local burger joint for a double patty extravaganza smothered in melted cheese and secret sauce is WAY easier than taking the time to prepare a nutritionally balanced meal. That simple fact is what keeps the fast-food industry going.
Short-term pleasures (fast food, social media, streaming video, gaming, etc.) typically require little or no effort to engage. You can order food on your phone, drive up to the window and get your meal with little or no fuss. Making things even easier, you can have the food come to your front door!
On the other hand, building a successful career requires a sustained effort over a long period of time, will require navigating obstacles along the way and is more challenging to achieve.
While short-term pleasure can be appealing and even necessary for well-being, a healthy balance between short-term gratification and long-term goals is crucial for overall happiness and success.
Like any problem, there is a solution. Here are key steps you can take to avoid the distraction trap:
1. Learn to recognize the habit for what it is
When doing any protracted activity, I constantly fight the urge to get up and do something else. This is so pervasive, I actually had myself tested to see if I had ADD or ADHD. I do not – all I have is a singularly bad habit I have honed over the years of not wanting to sit in one position for any extended period of time.
While working on any protracted task, I have learned to recognize the urge, which allows me the ability to move to the next step.
2. Learn to replace the trigger
Instead of clicking on the popups that populate my screen or heading towards the fridge for a snack, I have learned that a quick walk up and down the hall may be all I need to get back to work. If I am convinced that a snack is the only option, then a healthy choice is the way to go.
To help in this arena, I have also learned that if I want to limit my choices to healthy options, I need to do it at the supermarket. If it enters my house, it will be free game and, if it is a high carb choice, it can actually undermine my ability to concentrate.
3. Learn to use delayed gratification
An effective tool, if you are prone to distractions, is to set a timer for 10 minutes. Once you have set the time, commit to continuing your activities (calling, writing, etc.) until the timer goes off. In many cases, the temptation will have passed and you can simply keep going. If not, you can set the timer for another 10 minutes.
Another option is to provide yourself with a reward once you have completed the task. It could be a snack, game time or favorite show; just make sure it is something you enjoy. If you fail to complete your task, then, to quote a Seinfeld episode, “No soup for you!”
4. Learn how to make your long-term goals visible
Take the time to paint a preferable future, set measurable goals that help you achieve your dreams and then post them in a place that is highly visible. This could be a dream or vision board, post its, cards — whatever works best for you. When tempted, spend a few moments reviewing your visible goals and learn to ask yourself the question, “If I do the distracting thing I feel like doing right now, will that move me closer or further away from my goals?”
5. Learn to build small wins
Start small and work your way up. If you want to build up the habit of cold calling, and you set a goal out the gate of three hours daily, you will more than likely fail. If, however, you start small — let’s say 15 minutes a day — once you have locked it in on a daily basis, you can start adding minutes until you build up to your ultimate goal. Celebrate the small wins and build on them.
6. Learn to build a protective environment
Remove distractions. While I cannot change the location of my refrigerator in relationship to my desktop computer, I can definitely ensure that the stainless-steel monster in my kitchen is devoid of tasty and unhealthy snacks. If I am tempted to go to the fridge every 15 minutes (and I am …), if there is no reward when I get there, the temptation will lessen over time.
Remove any potential distractions from your environment, resist the urge to check your email, and communicate to your team, significant other and kids that you cannot be disturbed during your productivity time. Turning off social media notifications can also be very helpful.
7. Learn to set the stage for success
Take time the night before to study your required tasks for the next day, rearrange them in order of priority and then time-block. Obtaining an accountability partner is often helpful; report in when you start your task and again when you finish.
Living in an instant gratification society is incredibly easy if you want to live a pleasure-driven life. Unfortunately, that lifestyle will never take you down the road to a successful business — it will lead to continuous distraction and, at worst, addictive behaviors.
Lock in the necessary behaviors required to build your business, repeat them constantly, avoid pleasurable distractions and reap the rewards of long-term success.
Carl Medford is the CEO of The Medford Team.
