If we want to make our dreams our reality, we need to shift our mindset from short term gratification to long term gratification.

We need to make decisions that best serve both our present and future selves.

All too often we sacrifice our dreams because we pursue immediate pleasures, not realizing that we're sacrificing our dreams by doing so.

But if we instead sacrificed those immediate pleasures in the pursuit of what we want most, then when we finally get that thing we've been working so hard for we will feel so much pleasure.

Long term gratification is so much sweeter than short term gratification.

There's no better feeling than accomplishing a goal you've been working your ass off for.

This helps to show us what we're actually capable of when we buckle down, cut the bullshit, and really hone our focus in on a specific objective.

We are all so much more capable than we give ourselves credit for!

The problem is that the majority of us lack patience and grit and even if we do decide to pursue our passion, we will give up and go back to the immediate gratifications if we don't see instant results.

Most of my life I have struggled with choosing immediate gratification over long term gratification, as I would always choose going out with friends, getting drunk or high, playing videogames, and watching T.V., over sitting down and figuring out what I want to do with my life.

These are all things I still struggle with as immediate pleasure always sounds so appealing and is far less work.

I honestly still do all those immediate pleasure things, now I just do them far less and make sure I don't do them until I finish what I need to get done that day.

Am I always perfect with this?

Absolutely not! But I am so much better than I was even just a month ago and know that if I stick with it I will continue to improve and it will continue to get easier.

I would even argue that immediate gratification is beneficial when used properly because going out with friends, playing videogames, and watching a great movie are all super fun and enjoyable things to do that help to make life awesome and beautiful.

It's just when we do them too much to the point they take away from our real goals that an issue arises.

Life is all about balance, and that balance is different for different people, under different circumstances, with different goals.

Depending on what you're specific goals are and where you're currently at in life will determine what you need to sacrifice in the short term to bring about your long term gratification.

Believe me I am all for having fun and enjoying this amazing game of life, just now no longer at the detriment of my future self.

Prioritize long term gratification over short term gratification for true and lasting happiness!