And if so, how do we teach and model this value to new members of our community?
What is delayed gratification?
Delayed gratification, or deferred gratification, is the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward. Generally, delayed gratification is associated with resisting a smaller but more immediate reward in order to receive a larger or more enduring reward later.
Source: Carducci, Bernardo J. (2009). "Basic Processes of Mischel's Cognitive-Affective Perspective: Delay of Gratification and Conditions of Behavioral Consistency". The Psychology of Personality: Viewpoints, Research, and Applications. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 443–4. ISBN 978-1-4051-3635-8.
Small, Immediate Rewards Versus Larger, Delayed Rewards
I rarely enjoy waiting. Waiting is hard. Waiting requires patience.
And to be honest, I want things now! But that kind a mindset does not always serve me well in life or in the Steemit community.
Which category below best describes your current Steemit strategy and/or mindset?
Does you current mindset help you achieve your future goals?
Are you ready to invest the time and effort required to achieve your goals?
| RIGHT NOW MINDSET | DELAYED GRATIFICATION MINDSET |
|---|---|
| A large number of mostly unengaged followers | A growing number of engaged and interested followers |
| Offering "follow for follow" | Attracting followers through content and comments |
| Complaining about the lack of response | Persevering despite the lack of response |
| Seeking to be served | Desiring to serve others |
| Generic, repetitive comments | Authentic, caring comments |
| Irrelevant, inappropriate content | Valuable, quality content |
Final Thoughts
I believe that Steemit is and can continue to be something great. I also feel that many members of our community, and especially some of the newer members, do not understand the time, work, and patience it takes to build a viable Steemit blog.
We see the early Steemit adopters, the frontier men and women, the high rolling investors in our community, and we expect to receive the same results without sacrificing like they did.
As individuals and as a community, we can either promote the small, immediate rewards, or we can work together to accomplish more meaningful and enduring rewards.
We have to decide. What do you choose?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
Learn more about me. Click here to read my reintroduction post!
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I write posts about my family and lessons I am learning about life, love, and money.
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