The Cure to Boredom and Obesity
How I lost weight and became more fulfilled.
Life has never been so easy.
We can eat what we want when we want and we have unlimited entertainment at our fingertips.
The best part is, you don’t even need to put in that much work to get it.
So why is everyone so unhappy?
How Humans Are Wired
We’re not built for abundance.
Think back to our hunter-gatherer roots when life was tough.
Resources were scarce and conditions were harsh.
Every day was a struggle - a struggle for more.
We became wired to chase as it ensured our survival.
Sometimes we’d chase and come up empty-handed.
Other times we’d chase and get more than we could carry.
And whenever that happened, we’d feast. Or in other words, overindulge.
But opportunities like that were rare.
For the most part, we lived in scarcity and needed to chase more.
We had no other choice.
The Issue with Today
The world today is different, but we’re still the same.
Resources aren’t scarce and conditions aren’t harsh.
We no longer struggle for the bare minimum.
We already have that, we have more than that.
A world of abundance where overindulgence is common with no need to chase.
But we still want to chase. We still need to.
We think the reward is what we’re after, what we’re craving.
It’s not though. What we crave is the chase.
Think about it. The idea of getting a thing is always better than the moment you get it.
But the chase today is quick. You get the thing quick.
You’d think that means you’d scratch the itch quick.
But it doesn’t because you weren’t craving the reward, you were craving the chase.
So you’re still unfulfilled and think the solution to your problem is more reward.
In other words, you begin to overindulge.
Where That Led Me
I became obese.
I wasn’t satisfied with life and I didn’t understand why.
I could get whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it.
So that’s what I did.
I binge ate food and I binge-watched shows.
But I still felt empty, like something was missing.
So I consumed more and more, I weighed more and more, and I felt worse and worse.
What I thought would make me feel better did the opposite.
Instant gratification made me sad, lazy, and obese.
What is instant gratification?
Instant gratification is the desire to get what we want right when we want it - a reward without the chase.
This is our natural default and it makes sense.
In the past, we had to conserve energy to survive as every task required effort.
But in today’s world, where convenience has replaced struggle, this impulse can leave us feeling unfulfilled.
To feel truly satisfied, instead of seeking more rewards, we should recreate a sense of challenge and purpose.
In other words, we should augment the chase.
Delayed Gratification
It sounds complicated but it’s simple.
Before you indulge in a reward, work for it.
For example, before I have my first meal, I walk 6000 steps.
And before I have my first snack, I must complete 3 to 4 hours of deep work.
I’m working for the reward. I’m augmenting the chase.
The chase is different to how it was.
I’m not running about with a spear like our ancestors, but I’m still putting in work.
Restricted Delayed Gratification
Adding on top of delaying gratification, I also restrict the size of the reward.
That’s to augment scarcity, like how it was back in the day.
How you restrict the reward will change depending on the scenario.
For example, a week of work buys me a movie on a Sunday evening.
By delaying watching a movie, I appreciate it more.
And by restricting the size of the reward I stop my tendency to overindulge.
Over time, this will reverse boredom and obesity.
Because the two things that made you bored and obese were instant gratification and overindulgence.
Conclusion
More is not more.
To increase fulfilment, reintroduce the natural order of work and reward through restricted delayed gratification.
Work comes first, reward comes second, and the size of the reward is relative to the length of the chase.
It won’t be easy at first, but it’s the true path to fulfilment.
It’s how you’ll overcome boredom and obesity.
Want To Reach Your Next Phase?
I lost 50 kg and took back control over my life.
I’ll help you do the same.
