According to Doctor Mark Travers, a US psychologist, habits that lead to long-term achievement often do not generate immediate excitement.

Enduring boredom

In 2007, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published research by prominent psychologist Angela Duckworth, introducing the concept of "grit" — the sustained pursuit of long-term goals.

The study surveyed students from Ivy League institutions, cadets at West Point Military Academy, and contestants in the national spelling bee in the US. The results showed that grit predicted achievement more accurately than IQ or talent. Individuals who achieved success were less likely to quit when tasks no longer provided immediate interest.

This finding aligns with research on the ability to confront stress, frustration, or boredom without avoidance.

A study published in the journal Mind, Brain, and Education in 2022 indicated that achieving expertise in any field requires enduring long periods of repetitive work. Students capable of navigating these stages consistently achieved better academic results, even though their initial abilities were equivalent to those who tended to give up.

Effective workers develop a high tolerance threshold, allowing them to continue when tasks become monotonous. They are the writers who complete manuscripts after many months of revisions, the researchers who pursue a single question for many years, or the engineers who quietly debug lines of code.

Illustrative photo: Shutterstock.

Choosing the harder path

Doctor Mark Travers states that choosing the harder path involves the ability to forgo immediate rewards in exchange for significant future outcomes.

This concept was demonstrated through the "marshmallow experiment" conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel at Stanford University in the late 1960s. Children participating in the experiment were given the choice to eat one candy immediately or wait a short period to receive two candies. Subsequent evaluations revealed that children who chose to wait achieved better academic and social skills as they matured.

In 2019, the journal PLOS ONE published a study surveying over 2,200 working adults. The authors stated that persistence is strongly linked to career success. Individuals demonstrating high levels of perseverance achieved better incomes, attained higher professional standing, and actively engaged in professional development activities.

According to researchers, the ability to delay gratification is reinforced through thousands of small, repeated choices each day. Individuals who dedicate years to building a business instead of working for a salary do not perceive it as a sacrifice. They clearly define their goals and consistently reinforce their choices until the effort of self-control becomes a personal identity.

Nhat Minh (Source: Psychology Today)