How to utilise delayed gratification
Delayed Gratification & Wealth
A major part of building wealth and eventually getting your time back is learning the power of delayed gratification. When your younger, you don’t think much about it. you want everything now, not later. What I didn’t realise was that I had already put myself on the right path the moment I started contributing an extra 5% of my income into my super and there’s nothing stopping you.
That small decision doesn’t feel like much at the time. But that’s the whole point delayed gratification works quietly in the background. You give up a little today so your future self can live a lot better tomorrow and over time, those small sacrifices compound into freedom, options, and control.
Delayed Gratification & Time Freedom
Another way delayed gratification shows up in life is through how we use or waste our time. Think about how many times over the years you’ve taken a personal day or annual leave “just because.” When you’re younger, it feels harmless. One day here, one day there. But every one of those days is a day you never get back.
What most people don’t realise is that those small decisions compound just like money does. Every day you don’t take unnecessarily becomes more valuable as your income grows. If you stay with the same company for years, each of those banked days is worth significantly more than when you first earned them.
Over time, this discipline can build into something powerful a large reserve of leave that you can use when it truly matters. In my case, it allowed me to take extended time off to run a retirement rehearsal, something that has completely changed the way I think about work, life, and freedom.
For you, it might be different:
- Time off for health
- A financial buffer when exiting a job
- Or simply the security of knowing you have options
Delayed gratification isn’t just about money. It’s about protecting your future self with time, freedom, and choice.
Delayed gratification and compounding go hand in hand every dollar saved today is two dollars tomorrow. Every dollar you have in the offset saves you 6 cents per year at an interest rate of 6%. the next year that is 6 cents you will never pay again.
Yeah, right Shaun what are you going on about 6 cents for it’s nothing, well yes however if you keep multiplying that over time it starts to snowball and before you know it compounding is taking place.
Compounding in Real Life
Delayed gratification and compounding go hand in hand. Every dollar you save today becomes two dollars tomorrow. Every dollar sitting in your offset account saves you six cents a year at a 6% interest rate and next year, that’s six cents you’ll never pay again.
“Yeah, right Shaun, what are you going on about? Six cents is nothing.” And sure on its own it is nothing. But that’s exactly how compounding works. One tiny saving doesn’t change your life, but when you repeat it across every dollar, every week, every year, it starts to snowball. Before you even notice it, compounding is quietly working in the background, building momentum and creating real financial impact.
Small choices today become big advantages tomorrow.
Staying the Course
There’s one part of delayed gratification that almost everyone struggles with, and that’s staying the course. Whether it’s saving money, showing up to the gym, or sticking to your career path long enough to grow your income, the hardest part is allowing time to do its thing.
We live in a world that rewards quick wins, but real growth doesn’t happen quickly. It happens quietly, in the background, through consistency. The trick is finding the balance staying disciplined without sacrificing the enjoyment of the journey. Because if you can hold that line, if you can keep showing up even when the results feel slow, that’s when delayed gratification becomes powerful (I often wonder if I cut the delayed gratification journey short when I chose to leave my career, time will tell on that one).
Time compounds your money. Time compounds your habits. Time compounds your career.
But only if you stay the course.
Here is a link to my latest learning platform:
https://www.skool.com/shauns-property-education-2269
Here is a link to The Wealth Engineers:
The Wealth Engineers | Australia’s Leading Property Buyer Agency
