One easy way to develop delayed gratification skills turns out to consist of a very simple ritual, which is to always move your body.
Studies on human performance show that the main capital for us to be able to carry out delayed gratification skills (the ability to postpone pleasure for tomorrow’s success), and to be able to practice the power of focus and a long attention span is what is called “willpower”. We will be able to delay pleasure, be able to maintain the power of focus, and be able to extend our attention span, if we have abundant reserves of willpower within us.
Professor Roy Baumeister in the book he wrote with the title Willpower (Baumeister, 2011), states that when we have abundant reserves of willpower, we will automatically be able to resist the temptation of instant gratification, and it will also be easier to build deep focus and range. Having sufficient reserves of willpower is a key provision so that we can further develop delayed gratification skills, focus strength and our attention span.
And here’s the good news. A series of empirical research proves one simple and practical way to keep the willpower reserves in our bodies well maintained is when we can develop a routine to always move our bodies. Another language is when we can build exercise habits.
So far, we have understood what the benefits of regular exercise are for our physical fitness. There is a delicious sensation of freshness that is usually felt by those who exercise regularly, as soon as they finish the ritual.
However, a number of studies on human performance show a powerful hidden impact of the habit of doing physical exercise: when we routinely do this habit, slowly the willpower reserves in our bodies will also strengthen, and then we will be better able to resist the temptation of pleasure.
For example, in an experiment it was proven that respondents who exercise regularly are better able to resist the temptation to eat delicious junk food carelessly (and vice versa, tend to be more disciplined to eat healthy). In addition, the respondents who are diligent in sports are also able to resist the temptation to spend a variety of extravagant consumer goods (and vice versa, become more disciplined in saving and investing their money productively).
Other scientific studies have also shown that the habit of exercising also makes a person more proficient in maintaining deep focus and able to maintain a long attention span and not easily tempted by various distractions (Baumeister, 2011).
Referring to the various positive hidden benefits of the habit of doing exercise (exercise), the researchers say: if you want a simple but powerful way to increase your willpower to become more diligent in undergoing the process and more focused in doing things; then just do regular exercise habits in your life pattern.
Unfortunately, this simple habit is sometimes rarely done by young digital generation (because they lie too much while playing cellphones in almost all their free time).
So, I often receive this kind of complaint: Sir, I want to fight to change my fate, but I find it difficult to take action consistently. Or: how come I find it increasingly difficult to build focus and concentration for a long time.
After investigating, it turns out that this young man almost never does sports or exercise routines, and spends all his free time lying down while playing cellphones. This kind of bad habit is likely to make him easily bored and give up when he wants to do something consistently and requires deep focus.
From all the descriptions above, then we should start to cultivate this sport habit. We can start by running the type of sport that we like. Then start doing it regularly, for example three times a week, and slowly add it to five times a week. Also start with a short duration, for example, just 15 minutes per session. Start with small, easy steps. Then after you feel comfortable, slowly increase the duration scale to 30 minutes per session.
Going through a long and tiring process to become a rich man really requires stamina and abundant reserves of willpower. Because without strong willpower, we will surely give up easily when forced to undergo a boring action, which requires deep focus and is also complicated to implement.
Then, how easy is it so that we can make our willpower backup always optimally maintained? It turns out that the easy way is: start by building exercise habits, and always take time regularly to move the muscles of the body that we have. So that our mind muscles also become fit and bloom. When our nervous muscles are fit, our actions will always be consistent.
