If you want to be an expert, what little thing is almost as important as 10,000 hours of practice? - Barking up the wrong tree
How do you define long term commitment?
It would seem to be more a matter of perspective than anything else. If you're selling something to someone you'll likely never see again there's probably a temptation to fudge some things to close the deal. If you're selling something to a family friend, or someone you will regularly be doing business with in the future you're more inclined to look out for that person's interests. Short term vs long term perspective.
I'm of the opinion that very little that is short-term focused is actually worth doing.
That short-term things are subject to the laws of Karma where there is blowback for actions.
Is it unusual to forego instant gratification?
Absolutely.
It makes me cynical, something I try to avoid.
None of us is immune, though. We're all (generally) drawn to the same immediate gratification, lowbrow stuff - some of us have just developed a better set of brakes than others.
And sometimes there's a good reason we're drawn to it. I'm not naive enough to think flipping all of our defaults would necessarily be better...
Smart people don't start many bar fights. But stupid people don't build many hydrogen bombs. - P.J. O'Rourke
There's a great PickTheBrain.com article on how to stick to long-term goals:
Create a mantra.
Create a ritual.
Visualize.
Put yourself on auto-response.
All my goal studies to date are compiled here:
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/the-last-damn-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-a
Interesting, you have a similar list.
What are 5 things that make achieving goals easier?
Make a step-by-step plan.
Tell other people about your goal.
Think about the good things that will happen if you achieve your goal.
Reward yourself for making progress toward your goal.
Record your progress (e.g., in a journal or on a chart).
Your list uses more psychology to keep the person going...
Making goals is easy. Sticking to'em is the hard part.
It's like getting in shape. EVERYONE knows how to do it. We need someone to make compliance with what we already know easier. That's the real challenge.