People often choose quick rewards over long-term goals. This habit comes from human behavior and can make decision-making tough.

Here are some key ideas:

1. Cognitive Dissonance: Sometimes, we feel torn between what we want right now and what is good for us later. This struggle can lead us to make bad choices because the short-term rewards seem more exciting than the future benefits we can’t see yet.

2. Temporal Discounting: Many of us like smaller rewards we can have now instead of bigger rewards we have to wait for. Imagine a math formula that explains this: $V = \frac{A}{1 + kD}$. Here, $V$ is how we value the reward now, $A$ is the size of the reward, $D$ is how long we have to wait, and $k$ is how much we lower the value because of the wait. This mindset can cause us to hurt our chances for future success.

3. Social and Environmental Influences: Today’s world is full of temptations that make it even harder to focus on long-term goals. Social media, ads, and pressure from friends can make chasing quick rewards even more tempting.

To help fight these habits, we can try a few strategies:

• Set clear and specific long-term goals.
• Use tools or tricks to stay committed to those goals.
• Practice mindfulness to improve self-control and keep our actions in line with our future plans.

These ideas may not work perfectly for everyone, but they can help us become more aware of our choices and make better decisions in the long run.