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 people strive for, but what is the secret to achieving it? According to 40 years of research conducted by Stanford University, one quality stands out among those who find success: the ability to delay gratification. In a study where children were given the choice between eating one marshmallow immediately or waiting to receive two marshmallows, those who were willing to wait ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills, and overall better scores in various life measures.

Delayed gratification is all about choosing the pain of discipline over the ease of distraction. It is the ability to resist immediate pleasure in order to achieve greater rewards in the long run. The researchers found that every time a promise was made and delivered upon, the child's brain registered two important things: waiting for gratification is worth it, and they have the capability to wait. This mindset and self-control are not predetermined traits, but rather influenced by the experiences and environment that surround individuals.

This finding highlights the importance of experiences and environment in shaping our ability to delay gratification. 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. Success in nearly every field requires you to ignore doing something easier and opt for doing something harder – putting in the work and effort.

So how can we develop the ability to delay gratification and display self-control? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Start incredibly small: When trying to develop a new habit or discipline, make it so easy that you can't say no. By starting small, you eliminate the barriers that often prevent us from taking action. For example, if you want to start exercising, commit to doing just one push-up a day. It may seem insignificant, but the key is to build momentum and consistency.

2. Improve one thing by one percent: Instead of overwhelming yourself with the pressure to make massive changes and achieve instant success, focus on making incremental improvements. Aim to be one percent better each day. This approach allows for gradual progress and is more sustainable in the long run.

3. Use the "Seinfeld Strategy" to maintain consistency: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once shared his secret to writing jokes every day – he used a calendar and marked a red X on each day he completed his writing. The goal was to not break the chain of Xs. This strategy can be applied to any habit you want to develop. Find a way to get started in less than two minutes and use a visual tracker to maintain consistency. As the chain grows, so does your motivation to continue.

In addition to the findings on delayed gratification, another insightful book, "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future" by Kevin Kelly, provides valuable insights into the forces that will shape our future. Kelly identifies 12 forces: Becoming, Cognifying, Flowing, Screening, Accessing, Sharing, Filtering, Remixing, Interacting, Tracking, Questioning, and Beginning.

One key takeaway from the book is the concept of the Red Queen Effect, which states that in a rapidly changing world, you won't have time to master anything before it becomes obsolete. This highlights the importance of embracing a state of becoming, constantly adapting and learning in order to stay relevant.

Furthermore, the book emphasizes the power of connections and the networked nature of knowledge. Kelly proposes that every document should be a footnote to some other document, and computers can make these links visible and permanent. This idea resonates with Socrates's famous quote, "I know that I know nothing." We are constantly learning from others and passing on knowledge, making each piece of knowledge a footnote to another document.

The book also delves into the shift from pages and browsers to flows and streams. In this digital age, the prime units are no longer physical pages, but rather the flows, tags, and clouds that allow for easy sharing and interaction. Copies of information have become abundant and value has shifted towards the ability to recall, annotate, personalize, and engage with the content.

As technology continues to evolve, the book predicts the future of reading becoming social. With screens, we can now share not just the titles of books we are reading, but our reactions, notes, and musings as we read them. We can subscribe to the marginalia feed of someone we respect, allowing us to read a book in a new way and expand our understanding through the insights of others.

Another fascinating concept presented in the book is the idea of a networked literature. Over the next three decades, scholars and fans, aided by computational algorithms, will connect the books of the world into a single network. This will enable readers to generate social graphs of ideas, timelines of concepts, and networked maps of influence. The ability to curate excellent collections will earn prestige and potentially even income.

The book also explores the shift towards short-term use and sharing. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, most goods and services are becoming short-term and are candidates for rental and sharing. Sharing has become the default at every level of platforms, highlighting the interconnectedness and interdependence required for success.

To fully leverage the power of sharing, the book emphasizes the importance of weaving together the bits of data and information. When connected, these bits become smarter and more powerful, and innovation thrives. The largest and most profitable companies in the future will be those that harness the invisible aspects of sharing, finding new and improved ways to share and utilize resources.

A thought-provoking insight from the book is the idea that attention is the last scarcity in an information-rich world. In a world where information is abundant, attention becomes limited. Wherever attention flows, money will follow. This highlights the importance of capturing and retaining attention in a world full of distractions.

In conclusion, the ability to delay gratification and display self-control is a key quality that contributes to success. It is a mindset that can be developed through experiences and environment. By choosing discipline over distraction, you can achieve greater rewards in the long run.

Additionally, understanding the technological forces that will shape our future is essential for staying relevant and adapting to change. Embracing a state of becoming, leveraging the power of connections and sharing, and recognizing the value in attention are crucial in navigating the digital age.

To apply these insights to your own life, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Embrace delayed gratification: Practice delaying immediate pleasure in order to achieve greater rewards in the long run. Develop discipline by starting small and gradually increasing your capabilities.

2. Stay curious and adaptable: Embrace a state of becoming and constantly seek new knowledge and skills. Adaptability is key in a rapidly changing world.

3. Leverage the power of connections and sharing: Seek ways to connect with others, share your insights, and collaborate. Recognize the value of attention and find ways to capture and retain it.

By incorporating these practices into your life, you can increase your likelihood of success and navigate the ever-changing landscape of the future. Remember, success is not a destination, but a continuous journey of growth and adaptation.