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 a concept that many of us strive for, but what is the key to achieving it? According to 40 years of research conducted by Stanford, one quality stands out among those who have achieved success: the ability to delay gratification. This study, famously known as the marshmallow test, involved children who were given the choice to eat one marshmallow immediately or wait for a period of time to receive two marshmallows. The results of this study were astonishing.

The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive 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. This shows that 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 what exactly does delayed gratification entail? It is the ability to resist the temptation of immediate rewards and instead opt for a greater reward in the future. Every time the researcher made a promise and then delivered on it, the child's brain registered two things: 1) waiting for gratification is worth it and 2) I have the capability to wait. As a result, the second group waited an average of four times longer than the first group.

What is interesting about this study is that it revealed that the child's ability to delay gratification and display self-control was not a predetermined trait, but rather was impacted by the experiences and environment that surrounded them. This highlights the importance of nurturing and cultivating this quality in ourselves and in others.

So, how can we apply this knowledge to our own lives and increase our chances of success? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Start incredibly small: When trying to develop the ability to delay gratification, it can be overwhelming to think about making drastic changes. Instead, start with small steps. Make your new habit “so easy you can't say no.” For example, if you want to start exercising regularly, commit to doing just five minutes of exercise each day. By starting small, you make it easier to stick to the habit and build momentum over time.

2. Improve one thing, by one percent: Success is not achieved overnight. It is a result of consistent effort and improvement. Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life, focus on improving one thing, by just one percent, each day. This could be learning a new skill, reading a few pages of a book, or practicing a hobby. By making small, incremental improvements, you will gradually move closer to your goals.

3. Use the “Seinfeld Strategy” to maintain consistency: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld famously used a simple technique to improve his comedy writing skills. He would mark a red X on his calendar for every day that he wrote jokes. The goal was to not break the chain of Xs. This strategy can be applied to any habit or goal. Find a way to get started in less than 2 minutes. Whether it's writing for two minutes, meditating for two minutes, or practicing a musical instrument for two minutes, the key is to get started. Once you start, you're more likely to continue and build momentum.

Now, let's shift gears and discuss the next chapter of Readwise, a tool for thought built not for writing, but for reading. Readwise aims to improve the practice of reading through software by an order of magnitude. The founders of Readwise realized that while technology has disrupted traditional publishing and distribution models, the experience of reading itself has remained largely unchanged.

We live in an age where we have access to an abundance of information, yet we struggle to retain and apply what we read. Why do we spend hours reading a book only to forget nearly everything we understood in the moment? This is the problem that Readwise aims to solve.

The Readwise reading app is built on a local-first foundation, enabling blazingly fast, full-text search of your entire library of books, articles, annotations, and highlights. This means that you can easily find whatever you're looking for, even if all you can remember is a single word. The app also works offline, ensuring that you have access to your reading materials wherever you are.

One of the core features of Readwise is highlighting. Unlike other reading apps where highlighting is often a neglected or bolted-on feature, Readwise places highlighting front and center. They believe that the best way to read between the lines is to write between the lines. By encouraging users to highlight and annotate their reading materials, Readwise helps them engage with the content on a deeper level and retain more information.

It's important to note that Readwise is not attempting to make reading a social activity or create an internet-scale annotation layer. Instead, they are focused on providing a tool that helps individuals improve their reading practice. As toolmakers, they see so much potential in enhancing the reading experience on an individual level that they have yet to explore the possibilities of multiplayer reading.

In conclusion, success in nearly every field requires the ability to delay gratification and display self-control. By choosing the pain of discipline over the ease of distraction, we increase our chances of achieving our goals. Additionally, tools like Readwise can help us improve our reading practice and retain more of what we read. By incorporating habits such as starting small, making incremental improvements, and maintaining consistency, we can set ourselves up for success and make the most of our reading experiences.