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.

What are you watching?

I have just about given up watching the news on TV.

I don't know if I have just become more aware, if I grew up watching a different type of news, or if the news has changed. The news has become a drama show. Each time I watch I find myself getting sucked into a hardship story, a crime case, or a clinging to a teaser that makes me want to stay tuned until the next commercial is over. Once I realize what has happened, I feel like I have been taken advantage of by the news people. How can I fall for that old trick again?

I know better. I have worked with members of the media on several occasions covering press events. I have stood right next to the reporter as they interviewed someone and saw first hand what information was exchanged. Then hours later, I have watched the editing happen and somehow the story evolves into something where I wonder if I missed a part of the event. The edited version is more exciting and more interesting than anything I saw happen. This type of editing in the news is a top story or headline and it is portrayed as non-fiction or reality. On TV or in the movies this editing is hailed as creative storytelling and is openly portrayed as fiction or fantasy.

I think most people would agree that reporters and TV stations create their own drama to get higher ratings or to show off their TV personalities. We all know what they are trying to do but we keep watching anyway. It makes me wonder what role you and I play in this process. We are the people who buy the gossip magazines and who tune in to watch celebrities go to rehab or get arrested. Why do we enjoy seeing people fail and view it as entertainment but when we watch people on the TV news we wrap ourselves into stories that are personal, dramatic, and full of condemnation and accusations. We watch the news stories and begin talking to the TV set with phrases like, "those poor people," or "that is just horrible," or "I can't believe anyone would do that."

We know better so why do we do it? What is it in us that has to see what happened on the side of the road that caused traffic to slow to a crawl? Do we really want to see what could be happening? We know it could be bad and possibly traumatic for us to see it. Yet, we stop and look as if not looking is beyond our control? Why do we watch when we know better.

So before I started this blog I was ready to say how bad the media was and how we should all just tune them out of our lives. I was ready to blame them for everything. As I began to write things out I have developed a different perspective. I realized that the media does have some responsibility for what they choose to show on TV and how it is portrayed but really they are just feeding off of us. We are causing the drama frenzy because we can't stop watching.

So what do we do?

Avoidance and/or re-direction is usually my first course of action. Probably the biggest thing we could do is to change our hearts. We need to think about people in bad situations as if they were a close relative. While we shouldn't condone bad behavior, we need to love them and hope they to improve if they have made a mistake. Seeing people we care about struggle with life might be dramatic but it certainly wouldn't be entertaining. This is the type of drama that if given the choice, we instinctively would not want to watch.

What are you watching?