{
  "id": 3673408,
  "title": "How delayed gratification can make achieving goals faster",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/how-delayed-gratification-can-make-achieving-goals-faster",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-27T04:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91594498/how-delayed-gratification-can-make-achieving-goals-faster"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Delayed gratification is the practice of resisting immediate rewards for the sake of future benefits. It is a skill that can lead to stronger decision-making abilities and emotional regulation, ultimately resulting in greater success in both personal and professional realms. While many have become accustomed to instant gratification through modern conveniences, this muscle can be strengthened through practice.\n\nStanford psychologist Walter Mischel's iconic marshmallow studies demonstrated that children who could delay gratification tended to achieve better outcomes in life, such as higher academic test scores and improved social skills. More recent research has shown that developing this ability can also benefit career success and entrepreneurial endeavors.\n\nOne of the keys to practicing delayed gratification is to focus on long-term goals rather than short-term rewards. Entrepreneur Simon Squibb, for instance, famously paid himself the least among the 19 businesses he founded, instead reinvesting profits to grow his ventures. This focus on delayed rewards allowed him to achieve significant success later on.\n\nTo cultivate delayed gratification in daily life, one can start small. For example, saving a coffee purchase for the end of a productive week or postponing a non-essential purchase for a week can help build this muscle. Additionally, apps and tools that temporarily block distracting apps can assist in resisting instant gratification.\n\nDelayed gratification is not about denying pleasure altogether, but rather making deliberate choices that lead to greater rewards in the future. While exerting effort to control impulses may be challenging, the psychological benefits of this discipline can be substantial.",
  "summary": "Each week, Vera Vaslova makes herself wait until Friday to enjoy her favorite iced coffee. “And that makes me disgustingly productive ,” she says in a video she posted on TikTok . “Getting coffee out is one of my favorite things in this entire world, but I only let myself do it on Friday morning so that I have something to look forward to all week,” she explains. “And that’s what we call delayed…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}