Next Level University

How To Overcome Immediate Gratification (2024)

• Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

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What if waiting longer could lead to something way better—would you do it? In this honest and encouraging episode, Kevin and Alan break down why it's so tempting to chase quick wins and how that mindset might be holding you back. They share personal stories, real coaching examples, and helpful strategies to build patience, purpose, and belief in your future. You’ll learn how offering value first, setting meaningful goals, and understanding long-term growth can lead to bigger payoffs in life and business.

Learn more about:
Free 30-minute Coaching Call with Alan - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-business-breakthrough-session?month=2025-04

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NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.

For more information, please check out our website at the link below. 👇

Website 💻  http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

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Any of these communities or resources are FREE to join and consume
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Next Level U Book Club - https://bit.ly/3BQBYDr

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We love connecting with you guys! Reach out on Instagram, Facebook, or via email. We’re here to support you in your personal and professional development journey.

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Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

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Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email 💬
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

LinkedIn ✍
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

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Show notes:
(3:32) Free value leads to real opportunities
(6:04) How belief helps delay gratification
(8:49) “Teach a person to fish” and long-term wins
(10:44) Thinking like a grandmaster
(12:22) Join Next Level Live: A virtual, immersive event for those committed to growth, meaningful relationships, and a life they love. https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-live/
(14:01) Real examples of compounding results
(18:54) 3 steps to beat instant gratification
(21:45) Honest self-talk through tough goals
(23:45) Outro

Send a text to Kevin and Alan!

Kevin Palmieri:

If I told you I would give you $100 today or I would give you $1,000 12 months from today, which one would you choose? I know in the beginning of this journey I would have said kick me over, that hunsky need it now. Now I would probably say, I mean, how long can I wait? Is it going to be like $5,000 in two years? Will it be more eventually? I'm definitely somebody who fell into the trap of immediate gratification for the vast majority of my life and I would say one of the best things ever of all time was being able to rebuild or, I guess, readjust my relationship with that the things that are short-term pleasurable we've talked about this a lot on the show are often not good for us.

Alan Lazaros:

They don't't serve us. The things that are beneficial long-term often don't have a lot of short-term pleasure. I was doing the Next Level Live presentation earlier and I had this really powerful moment of. This is stuff we've been working on for seven years. This is our eighth event. There's things that we've perfected and re-perfected for years and it's really cool to see it finally come to fruition.

Kevin Palmieri:

Welcome to Next Level University. I'm your host, kevin.

Alan Lazaros:

Palmieri and I'm your co-host, alan Lazarus, at.

Kevin Palmieri:

NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros:

Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life love health and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri:

We bring you a new episode every single day, on topics like confidence, self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness, relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits and defining your own unique version of success.

Alan Lazaros:

Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. Welcome to.

Kevin Palmieri:

Next Level University, next Level Nation, today for episode number 2024. 2024. How, yes, pretty special how to overcome immediate gratification. So again, as I said in the beginning, I definitely was the guy who never did anything for the results that I would get eventually. I only did something for the results I would get immediately, and this is a really good example of this. Many people have told Alan and I that we're dumb for doing free stuff. We do a lot of free stuff. We're dumb for doing free stuff. We do a lot of free stuff. Much, much, much free stuff.

Alan Lazaros:

Shout out to the book clubbers Four years 20 books, always free.

Kevin Palmieri:

New book is starting.

Alan Lazaros:

by the way, the link to register will be in the show notes. We have a new book. Sorry, kev to interrupt you. No, you're good, you're good New book Reset by book. Reset by dan heath very good book, awesome. I saw that you voted for it as well. Yes, the we've been doing book club for four years, as of last weekend, which is wild and it's totally free, so join us totally free.

Kevin Palmieri:

We do a lot of free stuff free speeches, podcast breakthrough sessions, business breakthrough sessions, free presentations at colleges, whatever. And so many people have told us that is dumb and I think now more than ever I understand it because I tell that to clients all the time. I had a call with somebody who is in our last group coaching program and she reached out and said hey, can I, can we jump on a call? I need a little extra help. I got you, here's my link, let's do it. And she said I'm really trying to get some clients with my hypnotherapy. I got certified. I can't, I don't know how to get clients. And I said have you offered any free calls? And she said no, not yet. And I said this is what I want you to do.

Kevin Palmieri:

You have guests on your podcast. Yeah, she said yeah. I said I want you to message the last 10 guests, or the best 10, you think. Send them a message. Hey, alan, thank you so very much for joining me on my podcast. My audience and I very much appreciate it. As a token of my appreciation, I'd love to offer you a free 60-minute hypnotherapy session. I said that's it All you say? Nope, it's free, totally free, no strings attached. I said I'm willing to bet. A few people will get back to you. Six out of six.

Kevin Palmieri:

She messaged six people. They all got back to her and, who knows, one of those people might become a client. But they wouldn't become a client if you just messaged them and said hey, alan, thank you so much for coming on my podcast. As a token of my appreciation, I would love to offer you a a six month package of my hypnotherapy calls normally four thousand nine hundred ninety seven dollars for you very special pricing. Today only it's gonna be three thousand four hundred ninety seven. Are you interested? No, I'm not interested. I don't know what it's like. I've never experienced it before. So I think one of the keys to being a successful entrepreneur slash dream chaser is being able to delay gratification, because what you do now can pay off in very big ways in the future. But if you don't do it because you don't think it's going to pay off immediately, you're definitely not going to get the long-term rewards.

Alan Lazaros:

Remember back in the day when I was a kid, I would frequent BJ's. Of course we would buy in bulk, and I don't know if BJ's is still kicking. Bj's is still kicking, still kicking, still kicking. They used to have sample stations, of course, and as a kid, you oh Kev knows Of course You'd go to every single one of them.

Kevin Palmieri:

True or false? Yeah, you walk over. They have a sausage on a stick.

Alan Lazaros:

And they have a piece of cheese on a stick.

Kevin Palmieri:

They have everything on a stick, everything you can imagine, the best Yep Big. Thing.

Alan Lazaros:

Did you ever eat any of it? And then you go to your mom or dad, whoever you were at the store with. I was a kid when I did this. I might have been doing this when I was 20.

Kevin Palmieri:

This weekend Went over to BJ's to get some free sams.

Alan Lazaros:

He still frequents BJ's To get some free sams and then convinced Terry, can I get some? It was funny, but that's what the power of for any business owners or future business owners, that's the power of free first. Now I want to turn the conversation to you. Immediate gratification as someone who used to struggle with that.

Kevin Palmieri:

That's been the theme of the podcast lately. As someone who used to suck at blank, what are your thoughts now?

Alan Lazaros:

Yeah, well, I want to talk about the how. How did you actually overcome that?

Kevin Palmieri:

Honestly, this is a broken answer. You forced me to in a good way, not a bad way that you so get a coach. Get a coach for sure. I think building belief is super important because, again, we did. I think building belief is super important because, again, we did. We actually did an episode that was all about long-term thinking. I think my takeaway from that episode was the more belief you have in your ability to replicate like to create something and then replicate it the longer you are able to put it out into the future. So, okay, good example. If I offered you, let me use a better example.

Kevin Palmieri:

A sausage on a stick. A sausage on a stick If.

Alan Lazaros:

I offered you. Hey, real talk. How many things on a stick did you have to eat before you bought the product?

Kevin Palmieri:

one of the products I am probably not the typical consumer. For me it's like one.

Alan Lazaros:

You buy immediately. Yeah, if I like it, if it's delicious, yeah, of course, nice.

Kevin Palmieri:

I'm very certain. When I know something and I like something, I want it. I'm very certain of that, which is also a reckless way to live. This is the thought. If I Shit, what's a good example You've been to a hot table.

Alan Lazaros:

Have I ever been to a hot table Like a hot pot? No, a hot table have I ever been to a hot table Like a hot pot? No, a hot table. What does that mean? Huge paninis, huge, huge paninis. Yeah, man Grill, what are you talking?

Kevin Palmieri:

about Hot table's amazing oh, down the street from the studio Back in the day, yeah man Never been.

Alan Lazaros:

Oh, it's to rack them up there though. You see, I used to see the charges come through chipotle. You know it, emilia. This past weekend we went away 10, 8, I want to say. We thought her family might come, so we got food for them. In case, put them down myself, you got eight eight of them.

Kevin Palmieri:

You ate all. You ate eight paninis all across three days. Oh hey, you get sick of them.

Alan Lazaros:

No, no, yeah, you don't get sick of them. Oh, they're awesome Hot table dude. Emilia was like are you going to quit NLU and open a hot table you should sell for?

Kevin Palmieri:

them. We're not going to quit, but we will open a hot table at some point. Yeah, I a person a fish they eat for a day. Teach a person a fish they eat for a lifetime. Right, that is a good analogy or example for immediate gratification. Because if I give you a fish and I say this fish is going to give me $100 and I'll give you a fish, if you don't know how to fish you're going to have to pay that money. But if you know how to fish, you're going to say, dude, fuck off, I'll go get a worm and I'll throw that thing out there and I'll catch my own fish. Think, immediate gratification is the opposite. Nice.

Alan Lazaros:

Nice, it took everything in me not to say give a man a hot table, Feed him for a you know to make that reference.

Kevin Palmieri:

Okay, Let me.

Alan Lazaros:

The thing I sent you recently.

Kevin Palmieri:

You've been sending me a lot of stuff.

Alan Lazaros:

I sent you a, a list of and I'll go very briefly with this. Honestly, let me find it Okay, real quick.

Kevin Palmieri:

Don't worry, nothing but time, nothing but time here.

Alan Lazaros:

Uh oh.

Kevin Palmieri:

Nothing but time. I don't think you did.

Alan Lazaros:

I didn't send you the Chess skill levels.

Kevin Palmieri:

No Master, grandmaster, alright.

Alan Lazaros:

Beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, expert, master, international Master, grandmaster and Super Grandmaster, world Champion.

Kevin Palmieri:

Excuse me, I'm not kidding. Super Grandmaster, world champion. I swear to God, that's an excellent band name.

Alan Lazaros:

Yeah, yeah, that's an excellent band name. Chest. Skill levels by depth of thinking Beginner one to two moves ahead. Novice two to three moves ahead. Intermediate three to four moves ahead. Four to six, six to eight, eight to 10, 10 plus 12 to 15, 15, six, six to eight, eight to ten, ten plus twelve to fifteen, fifteen to twenty plus. Okay, the more you master a certain arena, the more you can think ahead. So for you, if you wanted to weigh okay, there's 52 weeks in a year. If kevin really wanted to do, not do this because it's terrible for you, but if you really really wanted to, you could lose 52 pounds in a year, pound a week, if you really really okay. Yeah, you're shaking your head. Yes, yeah, let's say you're a method actor and you have to get really really lean for a film I'm talking scary freakishly the machinist, christian.

Alan Lazaros:

Bale yes, exactly, yeah, I could do it yeah, okay, yeah, I could do it, yeah, okay. Now that's a whole year out. I think the reason Kev believes he can do that is because he knows how to do it and he is thinking like the Grandmaster, in this case, 20 moves ahead. So how do you overcome immediate gratification? The truth is, I think it comes down to awareness, skills and then self-belief. The problem is, and everything in this podcast skills and then self-belief. The problem is, and everything in this podcast comes down to self-belief. Let's be real. The reason why is because if you don't believe in yourself, you're not going to set the goal, and if you don't set the goal, you won't go get the skills and awareness.

Alan Lazaros:

I always used to say kevin one time way back we were in the studio doing spreadsheets he's like dude, how do you know all this, know all this? I said, brother, I had to learn all this. I, when I worked in corporate, I remember there were some jobs that I've had where I was like, ah, whoa, okay, I'm in trouble. I'm in serious trouble If I don't learn how to do this engineering school in particular. I mean, there was many of those moments of I am screwed if I don't learn spreadsheets and this, this, this, and so you accumulate knowledge and skills Awareness. So how do you overcome immediate gratification? I think you learn about a subject and study it and I think, inherently, you learn more about it, which gives you the ability to think longer term. And then, when you know what's possible longer term, it's easier to give up the $100. So you said would you rather have $100 now or $1,000 in a year? When you can do the equation, it's very hard to take the $100.

Kevin Palmieri:

And that's the truth, that's fair and, I also think, the worth it Next Level Nation. We are very, very excited to announce that we are doing our first purely virtual Next Level Live. On April 5th 2025, from 10 am to 4 pm Eastern Standard Time, alan and myself will be live streaming from Worcester, massachusetts.

Alan Lazaros:

Next Level, live 2025. Be there, it's only $47 for a full day of personal development, self-improvement, holistic health, wealth, life and love.

Kevin Palmieri:

We have a global audience. Obviously, if you live somewhere else in the world, it's hard to come across the country or across the world for a one-day event, so we wanted to make sure it was accessible to everyone.

Alan Lazaros:

You're not going to get to the next level of your life by default. You're going to get there by design. Join us, design that next level.

Kevin Palmieri:

Okay, what if, in that analogy, I said, I'll give you a hundred dollars now? Or if you work really hard and you're consistent and you have discipline and you work on your self-worth and your self-belief and you grow and you learn and you evolve, you have the opportunity to make a thousand dollars 12 months from today. I think that's. The difference is that it's not being given to you. You're earning it and I think there has to be an earn it factor. So there's an earn it factor and then there's a worth it factor. Is it worth it for me to wait if I don't think I'm going to get it? No, no, I think that's why people don't invest. Okay, if I invested $1,000, I don't know what's a normal amount people invest.

Alan Lazaros:

Probably $300 a month.

Kevin Palmieri:

Okay, how much money would I have if I just did that for the rest of my life Way?

Alan Lazaros:

more than you think, right. I mean we could run the numbers, but it's a lot.

Alan Lazaros:

It depends when you started it also depends what you invest in, right, but ultimately so. I coach a financial advisor and he works for MassMutual and he has a whole team and tons of clients, and I was actually talking about his strategy, which I obviously can't give here. But I mean, he's going to be a multimillionaire for sure Just because he invests every month and he has been for so long and he eats his own cooking, he does his own plan that he gives to his clients. It's actually a really solid strategy. Honestly. It's broken into thirds, but ultimately what he's doing is planning for retirement.

Alan Lazaros:

So let me give a tangible number. Well, I'll give a metaphor. If someone were to start investing when they're 20 into a 401k that grew year over year and they were consistent, they could stop when they're 40. And if you started at 40 and stayed consistent for the rest of your life, even though the person who started from 20 to 40, you would never catch them If you did the same amount. Obviously, you could catch them if you changed investments and put more in and blah, blah, blah. But the point is is that the earlier you start the better, and that's the compound effect, and I wanted to share this as well. We used to talk about this a lot. Now I realized that I was terrible at explaining it when I used to say this Kev. 80% of the results come in the last 20% of the journey. What did you used to think versus what you think now?

Kevin Palmieri:

I used to think it was dumb as shit Okay, perfect. And I still think it's dumb as shit. Okay, real quick.

Alan Lazaros:

I don't like it.

Kevin Palmieri:

I don't like it Because it's like no, no, not with everything. Hold on Sorry.

Alan Lazaros:

Apologize for cursing. I started my own company 10 years ago. Yeah, Alan Lazarus LLC. What you'll never learn in school but desperately need to know, this is before Kevin and I partnered up In the good old days. I'm kidding. I have for sure achieved 80% of the success in the last two years, For sure Financially. The only thing I can't say that about is fitness.

Kevin Palmieri:

Well, that's why I can't say that about. Is fitness.

Alan Lazaros:

Well, that's why I don't think it's everything Right, that's fair.

Kevin Palmieri:

Fitness. Maybe not because of biology, but but yeah, I mean it makes. If you think about if you're growing 80% in the last two years, I mean that makes sense. I understand that. Now it's like have we made More revenue as a business?

Alan Lazaros:

In the last 20%. Yeah, for sure Than the entire rest combined.

Kevin Palmieri:

That makes sense to me now. But you used to say like Well, dude, you know, on coaching calls, the last I mean the breakthrough Always comes in the last 20%. It's like dude. I think you're just saying that, so you can be late. I think you're just saying that, so you can be late. I think you're just saying that, so you can be late.

Alan Lazaros:

No, you and I had half the reason we're we have to go.

Kevin Palmieri:

This has become our life.

Alan Lazaros:

Yeah, half the reason why you and I we probably shouldn't stop doing this, because I think it probably is a credit hit. But Kevin and I had a business mastermind right before this we did, and the reason why we talk so much and so long is because most of the breakthroughs come at the tail end. I had a flow session earlier where I did four straight hours for Next Level Live three or four and it's again good, great flow For me. That's really good because I don't get that kind of time anymore, because I'm doing a lot of front-facing stuff and I'm grateful for that. But, dude, I was cranking at the tail end to the point where I don't even know how to take myself out of this. I'm sitting there going. I have a call in 30 minutes. I have to shower. I am fucked. I'm joking, I made it, it was great.

Kevin Palmieri:

But, dude, most of the breakthroughs do come in the last 20 20 of the call. What is the? What is that mathematical like? What is that? What's the? Is that an algorithm? Is that a?

Alan Lazaros:

it's law theory.

Kevin Palmieri:

Yeah the pareto. Pareto again. That's still pareto, just collapsed. Time will. Fredo is on to something, him and his peas man. Dude Hanging out in the garden with your peas just creating science. It's wild. What's your takeaway, sir? Things got quiet and awkward here.

Alan Lazaros:

My takeaway.

Kevin Palmieri:

Okay, Actually, before the takeaway can you give me a tangible? Because I interrupted you and then you interrupted me a bunch. I want to make sure we I interrupted you a bunch. First, what? What are the steps?

Alan Lazaros:

give me three steps on how to overcome immediate gratification number one is study the thing you want to succeed at. Okay, when you study it, you'll learn how to play more long term and you'll see what's possible. And then, when you see what's possible, it'll be harder for you to take the short term over the long term. One of the reasons why I'm convinced, one of the reasons most people don't invest, is because they aren't actually aware of the downside. I remember I showed you we lost a client and this was years ago and I showed Kev how many millions we lost Future millions, future millions, future millions.

Alan Lazaros:

If you look at the trajectory of our company growth this is one thing. I'll just bring this up quickly. You know Google's only 29 years old it's crazy to think, yeah, okay, well, google got really really, really freaking big in the last 10 years. No one even knew Google for the first six to eight, right. So when you realize that and again, google is a metaphor I think everyone can relate to because they all remember. But number one you got to study it so you can think long term. Number two is you've got to set a goal that requires you not to take the quick fix. Your goals need to require you to not take the quick fix. That's why fitness shows or marathons or weddings you have a bachelor party or a wedding coming up.

Kevin Palmieri:

I have a bachelor party and three weddings this year.

Alan Lazaros:

Okay, so you're going to make sure you're in shape. So when you want to eat hot table or whatever it is, you won't take the quick fix because you have going to. You're going to, you have necessity not to because you don't want to look like shit at those.

Kevin Palmieri:

And again I'm yeah, yeah, no, no, it's accurate, yeah, it's. You're trading in moments. It's either moments for misery or moments for insert another M word that works better than that. Right now I could, let's say I could, go eat a bunch of something and then feel good for five minutes and then wake up tomorrow and realize that was misaligned with my goal, especially my long-term goal. Or say you know what I'll be able to when I get to my goal, when I do the photo shoot, when I do the show, whatever it is, I'll be able to have my cheat meal after that. Awesome. I'll be able to have my cheat meal after that. Awesome.

Kevin Palmieri:

I remember when I did my bodybuilding show, I went out and bought all the cheat meal stuff for after the show and I realized that I was doing that whole thing for the show, not the growth that came with the show. For me it was immediate gratification and then done. And that was something that I wasn't aware of in the process, probably why I didn't continue doing it. Immediate gratification, crash, done, instead of saying I'm going to do as well as I can and grow as much as I can and learn about myself as much as I can and test myself and all that stuff. So yeah, that's my example.

Alan Lazaros:

What did you learn about yourself? Because that pressure cooker, that necessity, forced you to not take immediate gratification. That's when you really get to know yourself, when you're struggling.

Kevin Palmieri:

I learned that I'm way more capable than I thought. For sure, nice, and when you're going through it, whatever it is, you have some really meaningful, honest, real talks with yourself about what you're capable of, and I think that's. There's a lot of growth in that.

Alan Lazaros:

So, whatever that is for you, yeah, go ahead. How did you, how did you set goals when you didn't believe in yourself?

Kevin Palmieri:

I, I literally had somebody else set them for me, you, coach.

Alan Lazaros:

Yeah, fitness too. You had a coach right. So if anyone's out there seriously and that wasn't me setting this up, because I didn't know if that would be his answer but if you don't, if you're struggling to believe in yourself, I would love to help you. Free breakthrough session, not going to sell you anything, no strings attached. The link will be in the show notes. First one is free, only the first one. But let me help you set some goals and I can show you you how at least break down the formula of metrics and habits on how you can actually get there. It's going to take some time. You're not going to do it overnight, but give me a six-month timeline. I mean you can do some awesome things.

Kevin Palmieri:

Well, and you can get a relatively high level of certainty. If you had a question for someone and said, hey, I'm thinking about doing this, this, this, for this amount of time, alan would be able to give you a good perspective on what you might actually be able to create, not a bullshit oh yeah, you'll be a millionaire by the end of the year. No, that's probably not going to happen. Depends on where you are right. If you're already close, yeah, maybe. But I think that's another thing too is you don't know if it's worth it. You don't know if it's realistic, you don't know if it's actually accomplishable, and if it's not worth it, you're not going to do it. It would be highly illogical not to do something if you didn't think it would be worth it. So I think that's my takeaway is figure out what would make it worth it.

Alan Lazaros:

Figure out how to get familiar. We love you, we appreciate you.

Kevin Palmieri:

Grateful for each and every one of you at NLU. We don't have fans, we have family. We will talk to you all tomorrow. Keep it Next Level, next Level Nation. Thanks for joining us.

Alan Lazaros:

For another episode of Next Level University. We love connecting with the Next Level family. We mean it when we say family. If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri:

Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.

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Alan Lazaros

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Kevin Palmieri

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