I LOVE this quote! Wimpy was a man after my own heart when it came to loving hamburgers. And while I don’t believe I ever bought a burger on credit, I most certainly share Wimpy’s desire to satisfy his hunger RIGHT NOW. I’ve just returned from an eight-day cruise during which I tried very hard to resist all of the tempting food that is available around the clock, and I must say that I didn’t do half bad in that department (for a change!!!)

I guess I’d say I owe my semi-success to a couple of factors. One being that summer is upon us and my beach body isn’t exactly ready for prime time. Another reason, though, is due to a book I’ve been reading about self control, human nature, and strategies for preparing our minds for those “hot” temptations that come our way. In The Marshmallow Test – Why Self-Control is the Engine of Success, Walter Mischel describes how his research with pre-schoolers a half-century ago has led to some key understandings about how our brains are wired to respond to the “immediate”, and how we can rework our human nature to give us time to think about the consequences – and to delay gratification now, for a preferred outcome later.

In a nutshell, the Marshmallow Test asked pre-schoolers if they wanted one marshmallow NOW or two marshmallows LATER. While there were a thousand variations on this experiment, the basics question was… “Do you want a lessor reward now, or a greater reward later?” And, as you can imagine, this has got me thinking about the ramifications for coaching – otherwise, it wouldn’t make for a very interesting or relevant blog post.

What I’ve learned so far from Mischel’s research is that there ARE differences in how we are pre-disposed – or pre-wired – to handle the dilemma about choosing a reward now, or waiting for a greater reward. And the data is quite clear about the advantages those who are pre-disposed to wait for a greater reward reap throughout their lifetimes. Mishcel’s research clearly shows that those who are able to delay gratification as preschoolers tend to have much more successful lives than those who opt for the immediate reward.

Mischel goes on to describe the ways in which those who delay gratification are able to distract their minds from focusing on the “hot” pleasure available right now, in order to evaluate the benefits of waiting for a greater reward in the future.

So… what is the implication for coaching?

I must say that my eyes have been opened quite a bit about the different strategies for re-wiring our brains from reacting to the immediate – the “hot” part of the brain – to being able to consider the benefits of waiting for a better reward – the “cold” part of our brain. And it got me thinking about just how many of my clients’ – and my own – issues were related to reacting to the immediate issue (the temptation, the threat, the opportunity), instead of evaluating the benefits of waiting for a preferred outcome.

And that, of course, got me thinking about Wimpy and his desire for a hamburger today. I wonder how often I’ve allowed the “hot” part of my brain to want something immediately, at the expense of something even better in the future. What can I do to give my brain the space to consider the preferred future options? How do I more frequently access that “cold” part of my brain that uses logic, reasoning, etc… to look at other alternatives to wanting what I want NOW?

And what about my clients?

How often do the issues they raise indicate that the “hot” part of their brains are winning out over the “cold” part? What questions could I ask that would explore this possibility? What insights could I share about their choices?

I’m not sure I’ve resolved any of this yet, but I’m certainly working on it. And, if I can get a handle on how to tame the hot part of my brain and listen more to the cold part, what results might I expect? Is my beach body just a few good choices away? Can I re-wire my impulse to satisfy my immediate wants? Can I, somehow, allow myself the time and space to consider the ramifications of my decisions?

Again, I’m not certain about the outcome, but I can tell you I’ve got a sense that managing this part of my nature – and helping my coaching clients do the same – could change my/their trajectories and result in better, healthier decisions.

Please share your thoughts, encouragements, challenges, and feedback…. My brain needs all the help it can get!!!