Would you like $100 today or $110 in a week?
If you are like most people you would choose the $100 today even though logically the seven day delay and extra $10 is a better deal.
This concept of prioritising small rewards that occur sooner over larger rewards that occur later is known as hyperbolic discounting and while traditionally applied to the world of economics its effects can be felt throughout our lives.
Particularly in our quest to get fit.
Sweat now, enjoy a fitter body later
Skip the donut now, enjoy a leaner body later.
A large part of staying in shape involves delaying the reward which our emotional brain often seems to struggle with.
“The immediate gratification of eating an ice cream now means more to us than thinking about how much better we would feel in six months if we didn’t eat the ice cream and instead lost weight.” - Stephan Lewandowsky
I’ll be the first to admit it’s not always easy to break these short-term pleasure loops.
But with some perseverance and planning it can certainly be done.
Here are two ideas to help:
Shrink The Challenge
Start with the goal of doing a ridiculously small workout. For example, a single set of push ups. Or a short walk to the end of the road and back. Something is still better than nothing and once started it’s amazing how much easier it is to keep going. This is a really great strategy for those who struggle with limited willpower and enthusiasm for exercise.
Build A Bunker
Make it easier to prioritise long-term reward over short term pleasure by fortifying yourself against the latter. For example, if you struggle to resist grazing on unhealthy snacks then eliminate the temptation (and decision-making process) entirely by emptying your cupboards of all the sugary treats. It sounds so simple but now these hyper-palatable foods cannot chip away at your willpower leaving you vulnerable to a binge.
No matter how you go about combating the negative health impacts of hyperbolic discounting the takeaway lesson is this:
“Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now” - Richard Scott