‘Hyperbolic Discounting’ is a term to describe how we choose smaller, immediate rewards rather than larger, later rewards. The future reward seems so far away that our motivation to take any action to get closer to it, is completely diminished.
This term has resonated with me ever since I read about it because the evidence of this phrase is everywhere in our lives. We live in an era where we are so focused on the here and now that we focus very little of our efforts on the long term.
We are waiting for that next dopamine hit from a like on our instagram post or a comment on our latest blog (the irony). We chastise any information we hear about making small incremental changes over time to see improvements, because we want to see massive improvements and rewards now.
I feel this in my own life, every day I feel I am looking for the next quick win when really I should take a step back, be patient and attempt to see the bigger picture. I have to trust the process, develop the habits and follow the path.
This is not an easy thing to do. It sounds so simple, so straightforward when written down, but is hard to put into practice.
I’m a father of two kids under 5 and a husband, which presents all types of challenges, compromises and tests of patience. I have a successful career which has not followed the path I originally thought it would. I’m fit and healthy, all of the things that should make someone feel content with their life.
Through reflection I can see that I am disciplined, structured and conventional. There hasn’t been anything outlandish that has happened in my life to move me quickly through life’s checkpoints. I have trodden a path that many before me have done, one which could be deemed as uneventful and plain. I still have that itch for more and to do it uniquely.
Everyone has so much to be grateful for so why is it so difficult for us to want to continue down the unassuming path of monotony and hard work, when it has been proven to be so effective?
Within the aged care sector, there are Pastoral Care teams. These teams use faith and spirituality to support the elderly through their time in aged care services. The services were described to me as “supporting individuals in pulling together the strands of their lives into one complete thread. This allows them the opportunity to make sense of their own story and be at peace with their life”.
How much better would our lives be now if we could see how our story is being knitted together? Would we still see those, yet to be woven strands, as boring steps in the creation of our thread? Or would we appreciate them in the moment and realise that this will all make sense at some point in the future?
If we think of all aspects of our life as strands that entwine, wrap around each other and flow in a single direction to form a single thread of our life. We need to appreciate the basics that create the strands and without the struggle the strands would be too fragile. We need both to create the story of our lives and we need to be mindful that we only get one attempt at making the thread.
I don’t think my story is unique and my way of making sense of my own story is by sharing my learnings and knowledge to show how your life strands come together to form a strong and resilient thread.
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