One of the essential concepts from Water the Bamboo is delaying gratification. Our society is plagued with instant gratification--we have one-click shopping on Amazon, instant movies on Netflix, and so many other examples where we have instant access and availability to what we want in the moment.
But I believe that delaying gratification is one of the most significant predictors of success.
Take the famous (albeit controversial) Stanford marshmallow experiment, for instance. This experiment was a study on delayed gratification. Researchers offered a child a choice between one marshmallow now or they could wait briefly and get another marshmallow. And according to follow-up studies, researchers found that children who could delay gratification tended to have better life outcomes, measured by specific criteria over a period of time.
Just as in the marshmallow experiment, Bamboo Farmers know that you can water the bamboo every day with no visible results, and then it can grow 90 feet in a period of 60 days.
In fact, the Bamboo Farmers I have interviewed on my podcast have sacrificed and worked hard today to realize their dreams long-term. That’s what delayed gratification gives us--control over our lives to achieve our goals and have success and happiness.
“Delayed gratification gives us control over our lives to achieve our goals and have success and happiness. ”
Look, we’re in a constant battle against instant gratification--it’s all around us. But if you adopt the Bamboo Farmer’s mindset by keeping in mind a long-term view and understand the importance of short-term sacrifice for long-term gain, you can battle that tendency.
The Bamboo Farmer knows that overnight success is a myth. In fact, it takes a lot of nights to be an overnight success. So if you want real success, define what success looks like to you, then put in the work and effort today, and stay disciplined.
This post is based on a podcast episode by Greg Bell.
Listen below for the full episode: