Deferred Happiness Fallacy

In Sahil Bloom’s book “The 5 Types Of Wealth” he introduces us to the idea that is the “Deferred Happiness Plan”. It’s a narrative that many of us have bought into without thinking through what it actually means, or how likely it is to become true.

Have you ever heard someone say “I’ll be happy when…”

“When I get a promotion at work”… 

“When I buy a house I can settle down in”…

“When I lose 20 pounds”...

It’s attractive because it’s oriented around a goal, but it’s a trap because it implicitly gives you permission to delay or defer your happiness to a later date. It gives you an excuse to rationalize that your unhappiness or lack of fulfillment today is okay because it’s an investment in future joy.

While it’s true that we can create futures that are more desirable and enjoyable, and we should pursue that, we must be aware of the cost and the real probability that what you’re working toward will actually make you happy.

Tom Bilyeu once said “Success doesn’t change your insecurities. Most people look at somebody who’s successful with this admiration and they think that when I’m successful I’ll look at myself with the same admiration. All you have is this moment, success is not something in the future where you cross the finish line and feel forever the way you’ve wanted to feel. Success will feel exactly like this moment.”

Underlying the dissatisfaction we have for how things are is exactly what Tom described - a belief system that you bring with you wherever you go. It’s an unworthiness that shapes the way we view every life situation, no matter how much we think we want it. When we get there, it’s not as sweet as we thought it would be, or as meaningful, because it’s painted with a dissatisfied lens. 

If we’re choosing to sacrifice our happiness today as we’re building toward a more desirable future, while knowing that actually being happy when we get there is far from guaranteed, it’s probably not a trade that’s worth making. 

So what should you do instead? As cliche as it is and impossible as it might sound, choose happiness now. Find reasons to be grateful. Reframe your perspective sothat you enjoy your everyday experience. Because when you do that, you’re shifting the belief system you're operating from. You’re training your mind to be happy no matter where you are. 

The destination matters less than you think. What you actually want is how you expect you’ll feel when you get there. And the more reliable path to actually achieving that is to do the inner work, the mindset shift so that you view every day with more positivity, optimism, hope, and fulfillment.

As far as I’m aware, nothing will create that shift faster than daily gratitude journaling. Making yourself consciously slow down to see the good in the world, especially when you were blind to it in the moment, will help you begin to see it automatically.

Give it a try! What do you have to lose? 30 days just might change your life...

Now if you’re the type of person who struggles to be consistent with anything, and knows that being inconsistent is holding you back from experiencing the growth and success you know you’re capable of... Then check out the 21 Day Super Habits Challenge. It gives you the structure and organization you need to actually follow through on the things you know you need to do, consistently.