"Early success turns out to be a weak predictor of long-term success. Many top performers are overlooked early on, then grow quietly into stars." — Daniel Coyle, Author, Talent Code
There is one thing that is always required for success in nearly every domain whether it be career, health, marriage, parenting, happiness, money, or learning...
We MUST pass the marshmallow test
In 1972, Stanford researcher Walter Mischel conducted one of the most famous experiments in psychology that has ever been done. He offered a group of children an immediate reward of a marshmallow or two marshmallows 15 minutes later. Amazingly, follow-up studies found that children who waited longer tended to have better dramatically life outcomes.
As I've gotten older, I've appreciated the profound power of this study on two levels...
- I've personally seen the marshmallow test transform every area of my life.
- I've seen that self-control is not fixed and can be dramatically improved (research backs this up).
In other words, the marshmallow test isn't a story about how the innate and unchangeable trait of self-control predicts children's future success.
Rather, it's about how we personally choose to confront the dozens of marshmallow tests we're given everyday...
Here's what the marshmallow experiment looks like in our life
- Health. We must be willing to eat healthy food that tastes ok now instead of eating unhealthy food that tastes amazing.
- Exercise. We must be willing to push our body to its limits and exercise for 20 minutes a day or so when we'd rather watch TV.
- Learning. We must be willing to slow down and learn and get less done on our to-do list even when we feel behind.
- Marriage. We must be willing to stomach intense, negative emotions and talk through differences when we'd rather ignore them.
- Entrepreneurship. We must be willing to accept the uncertain payoffs of starting a business rather than the certainty of a pay check.
If we pass these tests, we will likely...
- Live years longer with vibrant energy rather than die young from preventable causes.
- Have a longer-lasting, happier marriage rather than become a divorce statistic.
- Be wealthy rather than living paycheck to paycheck.
But, there are key differences between the 15-minute marshmallow test and its application to real life...
- Rather than delaying gratification for minutes, we must be willing to delay it for years.
- Rather than simply doubling the reward, we can 1,000x them. This multiplier is possible because of the incredible power of compound interest.
Everything I've said so far is not controversial. Most people realize the power of delaying gratification in our own lives and even society (ie, environment). They just don't pass the test.
This begs the magic question...