Key Competency #8: A High Threshold for Gratification

I was recently listening an interview with Larry McReynolds, former NASCAR crew chief, who talked about the shift in NASCAR sponsorship from Sprint/Nextel to Monster Energy. Call me what you will, but I couldn't help but chuckle to myself because I cannot think of a more appropriate sponsor than energy. Here is a crowd that gets a kick out of watching cars drive in a circle, and Monster only ratchets up that energy to an exponential level.

If it sounds like I'm making fun of them, that's not really the case. In all actuality, I am not-so-secretly jealous of them. I wish I could get a thrill off these simple pleasures, but I don't. I wish I could understand and relate with the excitement over watching NASCAR. Moreover, I could say the same thing about any sport. I'm not into the NFL, NBA, NHL, Olympics, or any other sporting event.

Actually... maybe having a low threshold for gratification doesn't sound so bad!

I'm not lying about what I said above, but there is an overwhelming part of me that still thinks a key competency of top performers is having a high threshold for gratification. These are folks that aren't pleased by simple things. I know that sounds like a miserable life, and to a degree, it is. Like I said above, I genuinely wish at times that I could kick back on the couch and enjoy a sports game. I just can't.

There is a benefit to folks with a high threshold for gratification: they push harder for bigger wins. For guys like Elon Musk, that means establishing major companies like PayPal, Tesla, and Solar City. For somebody like me, that means working out to maintain my weight loss or obtaining the next certification / degree.

So, is there a way to increase your gratification threshold? I think yes because it happened within me. There was a time when I was perfectly content playing video games and eating a cheeseburger every single day. That changed over time, though, and I no longer garner that same level of contentedness from those things.

I honestly can't tell you what was the precise trigger of that change. It could be simply that I was transitioning from being a teenager to an adult, and the hormones circulating around that time changed. It also could be that I was unsatisfied with my general lot in life at the time and decided to do something about it. Maybe it's a bit of both.

Anyway, as much as I genuinely wish I could garner contentedness from simple pleasures, I do think it's better to have that high threshold. The rewards of having that high threshold are indeed enjoyed on a grander scale beyond enjoying the taste of a Mountain Dew. (Although I do love me some Dew from time to time.)

Don't settle for less. Push hard to be the best. Trust me, the fruits of your labor will be worth it.

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