40 Years of Stanford Research Found That People With This One Quality Are More Likely to Succeed

40 Years of Stanford Research Found That People With This One Quality Are More Likely to Succeed

Success is something that many of us strive for. Whether it's in our careers, relationships, or personal goals, we all want to achieve greatness. But what is the secret to success? Is it intelligence? Talent? Luck? According to a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at Stanford University, the key to success lies in one's ability to delay gratification.

In the study, children were given a choice - they could either eat one marshmallow now, or wait for a short period of time and receive two marshmallows. The children who were willing to delay gratification and wait for the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills as reported by their parents, and generally better scores in a range of other life measures.

The ability to delay gratification is a powerful predictor of success. It teaches us the value of patience, self-control, and discipline. Success usually comes down to choosing the pain of discipline over the ease of distraction. And that’s exactly what delayed gratification is all about.

But how do we cultivate this ability to delay gratification? The researchers discovered that every time a promise was made and then delivered upon, the child's brain registered two things: 1) waiting for gratification is worth it and 2) I have the capability to wait. This suggests that delayed gratification is not a predetermined trait, but rather something that can be developed through experiences and the environment that surrounds us.

So if you want to succeed at something, at some point you will need to find the ability to be disciplined and take action instead of becoming distracted and doing what's easy. This is easier said than done, of course. But there are strategies that can help.

One strategy is to start incredibly small. Make your new habit “so easy you can't say no.” By starting small, you remove the barriers that often prevent us from taking action. It's much easier to convince yourself to do something when it only takes a few minutes. And once you've started, it's much easier to keep going.

Another strategy is to improve one thing, by one percent. This concept, popularized by author James Clear, is based on the idea that small, incremental improvements can add up to big changes over time. By focusing on improving just one thing by one percent each day, you can make steady progress towards your goals without feeling overwhelmed.