3 Signs You Are an Instant Gratification Addict

You can get almost anything at anytime on the Internet.  With invention of the Smart Phone and tablet things are now available anywhere you go.  The more readily the information and services are the more we seem to want and the less tolerant we are to wait for anything.

The question is, do we need things immediately or do we just want it because we can have it?  Have we become greedy for information and pleasure?  Everyone wants to experience pleasure in their life.  Pleasure feels great but it doesn't last very long.  That is why we keep seeking it and often push the limits of normal behavior to try and squeeze every last bit of pleasure out of everything.  They say good things come to those who wait...  so why can't we wait?  Are we addicted to instant gratification?  Here are 3 signs:

1. Lack of Self Control
Do you have a hard time stopping certain behaviors like drinking, eating, speeding, spending, or talking about yourself?  This could be a sign that you want to feel as good as can, as soon as possible, and as much as possible no matter the consequences.

2. Gossip
Do you find yourself participating frequently in conversations about other people?  Do you make it a point to share any details you know about certain people at work or in your family?  This could be a sign that you need to feel good by making other people look or sound bad.  You may feel more superior when you talk about the questionable behavior of other people.

3. Desires are too Strong
Do you have to have the latest technology gadget, fashions, celebrity news, or information? Do you often find a way to justify the purchase of things that you really don't need?  Do you have to know everything about what is happening in the news or inside of a company?  You may be passionate about something but love it so much that your desire has reached an unhealthy or obsessive level.  Knowing everything you can about one subject can make you feel good.

If you have some of these signs and experience them on a daily basis you may be addicted to Instant Gratification.  While some of this behavior could be harmless, some of it could be causing you to act in ways that others perceive as questionable.

Here are some things to consider to help curb the need for instant gratification:

1. Acknowledge there is a problem.  Admit it and begin recognize what it looks like.

2. Set boundaries so that you are not tempted.  Don't go to bars.  Don't eat dessert. Don't buy anything for 30 days, Turn off your phone at meals and meetings.

3. Set limits of time, portions, spending, etc. only allow a specific amount of time to spend on your passion or behavior, i.e. once a week, once a day for 30 minutes, etc.

4. Get help.  Find an accountability partner or speak to a counselor.

5. Look at the root of your behavior.  Is there something else missing or not right in your life that this behavior is covering up that needs to be addressed?  Find it and address it.

6. Think bigger.  Instant is small but waiting for something better is bigger thinking and could be more of an investment in your future.

7. Pray for guidance.  God is big and can help you see how blessed you are and how to be content with what you have.

8. Spend time on more important things that add value to other people or to your future such as: Volunteer, take a class, read a book, exercise, teach, spend time with kids or seniors.

9. Go cold turkey!  For example, cancel your text plan, give up sweets, be silent for hours, return the gadget to the store.  Take drastic action to jump start your new line of thinking.

10. Make sure the person you are talking about is in front of you or always assume that what you are saying will be heard or scene by the person.

Start seeking joy rather than pleasure.  Joy is God given, longer lasting, and usually it is a better experience than anything you can imagine on your own.  Joy is harder to find but usually well worth the wait.  Let go of the need for instant gratification and embrace the process of things happening at their own pace.

Use Passion For Good

I recently discovered the newest excuse for less than professional behavior in the workplace... proclamations of having passion. Passion is:  a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.

Maybe you have witnessed this excuse?  When a topic or decision is being discussed in a meeting and someone: begins talking over people, interrupting, speaking loudly, strongly disagreeing without regard to others' feelings, ignoring others who try to express their thoughts, using sharp edged language, or getting frustrated when they don't get their way.  Lately, I have heard from several people that the reason a certain people act this way is because they are passionate about the subject at hand.  When did being passionate about something make it okay to be unprofessional?  When did this become acceptable workplace behavior?

I was always under the impression that having passion about something was a positive thing.  People long for spending more time with things or people they are passionate about in life.  Passion creates and endless supply of energy that people need to do great things.  Finding what your passionate about is an amazing process.  You can't plan it, force it, or buy it.  When you realize what your God given passion is and you are able to live it there are few levels of joy that can match the feeling.  So how can this priceless feeling of joy turn into a situation where it hurts other people in the workplace?

The moment someone disrespects another person in a meeting the passion that person has about the subject matter at hand becomes useless and unwanted.  The so-called passionate person quickly becomes viewed as out of control, rude, disrespectful, and not a team player.  It becomes difficult to work with this person because of how they make you or others feel.  You can find yourself not wanting them involved in projects or discussions because of how they dominate the conversation and how they cause a loss of momentum with the work.  You will begin having side conversations with the other people you need to work with on projects and only bring in the passionate person at the end of the process.  You end up spending more time managing this person and being less productive.

At no time is having passion about something an excuse for disrespecting people or for being unprofessional at work.  Being passionate and professional are not mutually exclusive things.  When you put them together you will find greatness.  You will see people flocking to work with these kind of people.  Passionate and professional people have huge networks, get assigned to big projects, and are always invited to meetings or to be apart of the decision making process.  They are a pleasure to work with and they inspire you.


Are you the one others manage or are you the one that people want to work with?  Be passionate about your work relationships.  Be passionate about how you treat people.  Use your passion for good.