How the World has Changed – Trading in Patience for Instant Gratification
Think back, think way back – do you recall the days where you would come home from school, sit on the couch and turn on the TV?
You either had memorized the after school TV programs and knew exactly what was coming on and when, or you would consult the TV Guide channel where you would literally sit and watch as the screen scrolled through the extent of what was on each channel (whether you had that channel or not) and God forbid you look away for a moment and miss the channel you were looking for, you’d have to sit and go through the entire process again as it continuously scrolled the entire program.
Or you flipped through that weeks TV Guide magazine that probably lived on everyones coffee table.
There was no Netflix or Youtube.
If you didn’t like what was on TV you simply went outside or perhaps put on a movie – which was most likely on VHS format and hopefully you remembered to rewind the last time you watched.
As watching TV itself could obviously be quite the process, most afternoons and evenings were spent outside playing with friends or if the weather wasn’t great, you’d sit inside and read a book or talk on the phone with friends.
Everything was done with patience, and understanding.
There was no sense of urgency to binge watch an entire series in one or two sittings – the possibility never even existed so that was a completely foreign concept.
Unless the entire series or season itself happened to be over and found itself available in VHS or DVD format – binge watching was non existent.
You simply patiently waited until the following week where you would find the answer to the potential cliff hanger the previous episode left you with.
Beyond screens, this same sense of patience applied itself to everything in life.
If you wanted to talk to a friend, you picked up a phone – attached to a wall – and hoped they were home.
If you wanted something from the store you would physically have to go, and if you think back far enough, there was a time in what feels like the not so distant past – where Sunday’s were a time still for rest and most stores were closed.
So you patiently waited for stores to open, and you would get whatever it was you needed.
Amazon didn’t exist to get you what you needed at the click of a button delivered to your door.
Everything was done on your own accord, and patience was a virtue instilled in everyone as it was basically the only viable option.
Fast forward to our current state and patience seems to have worn thin or out completely for most as we live in a world that thrives on instant gratification.
If we don’t get the answer we want immediately, we move on quickly until the desired result is achieved.
We tend to throw most of our money at bigger retail chains and places like Amazon where delivery is an option and can sometimes even be the same day.
Why wait for something when you can literally dream it, order it, and have it all in the span of a day without even needing to leave your house?
There are no commercials on TV and the idea of TV itself has completely changed.
We watch what we want – when we want – uninterrupted and often in large chunks so we can binge an entire series without ever having to sit and contemplate any on screen events big or small.
There is very little to digest or unpack because we’re moving so quickly through everything that we can often miss the small details or potential foreshadowing that is often sprinkled throughout.
And as we turn a blind eye to these little things even for our own personal entertainment – we can often miss these details in life itself. Constantly running through everything as quickly as possible, never having to wait so never settling for anything that doesn’t lend itself to an immediate response.
While these past few years have changed a lot of perspectives on how we view our life goals and how we live our lives and what we take for granted and not – patience has not been one of those things affected in a positive way.
If anything, the bigger corporations and entities have made things so much easier and faster to get, and even with little to no human interaction or having to go out.
Our mindsets are being shifted to accept this way of instant gratification because it is, if nothing else, incredibly convenient.
As a growing business we too have had to accept this reality and have ensured that the product or service we are offering – can be available potentially on a moments notice.
While we may not always have stock or availability, the world has questions and demands answers just as quickly as they’re throwing out the questions.
Being able to respond and engage as swiftly as possible is integral.
Clients want to ensure they are being looked after and someone cares about their cause.
By ignoring or even slightly delaying your response, you can miss out on something all together.
So as we shift into this world and society of ‘wanting what I want and getting it immediately’, we need to understand the value of being able to communicate both our exact wants, and at the same time, engage with others to maintain that relationship and that ‘order status’.
As long as that initial contact has been made and knowingly received, that ‘order pending’ mentality has been instilled, care and due diligence has been attempted, and hopefully the transaction can be completed as swiftly as the process has started.
While we do all need to work on finding a time and space where patience is a virtue, and waiting can sometimes lead to bigger and better rewards, we also need to keep in mind that time waits for no one – and in business, patience was gone at the turn of the century and business models almost need to reflect this to strongly compete in such a competitive market.
The odds of the world turning away from instant gratification are slim – there are very few arguments that will lend themselves to prove otherwise.
So we need to embrace, but at the same time, not motivate society to move any quicker than we already do.
Maintain communication so our care is never lost.
And sometimes, if all else fails – dig deep and find that patience that we’re quickly losing sight of, and wait for the bigger and better outcomes that await us.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna is the Office Manager at Sentinel Security, as well as the main blog contributor.
With foundations firmly routed in Business administration, Customer Service, and Management, she brings years of experience to her roles both within the Sentinel office, and the blog.
Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities.
Her passions include spending time with her husband and two young children, world travel, reading, writing, and pushing herself to always look for the silver lining.
