Don't Eat the Marshmallow

When my self-control is beginning to wane, my mantra is now, "Don't eat the marshmallow."

This mantra is derived from a series Stanford experiments on delayed gratification.

Several decades ago, a team of scientists took a sample group of three year-olds (something that would probably never fly today) and placed each child in a room with a single marshmallow. They went on to tell the test subjects that they were allowed to eat the marshmallow at any time, BUT, if the child was able to not eat the one marshmallow for fifteen minutes--eons for a toddler--they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow. They then left the room, leaving the child alone (but under surveillance) with the marshmallow.

Some ate it right away, others broke down and ate the marshmallow during the fifteen minutes, and a final segment was able to hold out for an additional marshmallow.

Years later, the scientists checked back in with the test subjects. What they found was remarkable: the children able to hold out for the five minutes had significantly better SAT scores, interpersonal relationships, and BMI (body mass index).

What I take from this anecdote, which I've now heard relayed from two prominent thought leaders, is that delayed gratification is a key to victory. Think and plan long-term. In a world obsessed with the instant gratification dopamine-drips of news feeds and likes, dare to be different.

Don't eat the marshmallow.