Delayed Gratification

"Deferred gratification or delayed gratification is the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants. This ability is usually considered to be a personality trait which is important for life success. Daniel Goleman has suggested that it is an important component of emotional intelligence. People who lack this trait are said to need instant gratification and may suffer from poor impulse control."


This may be a valuable trait for those trying achieve useless things by making themselves miserable till they achieve them. This is the carrot effect.

However, nothing is worth making yourself miserable. Happiness is in the now, and not in the future. You are successful based on who you are, and not on what you have. If you are miserable now because you are deferring gratification for later, you are not successful.