It’s really hard. But is it harder than resisting the ones that follow?
Good perspective.
Don’t Give In To That First Desire [Darius Foroux] – “Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said something that helps with managing our first impulsive desire:
”‘Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.””
The post includes six ways to help you improve your self-restraint.
One method that I do personally (and isn’t listed) is that I imagine myself giving in and enjoying the indulgence. Then I try to imagine myself afterwards and how I feel about it.
In my mind, it recreates about ~5% of the actual experience (since it’s usually something I’ve done before) and sometimes it’s enough to satiate the desire. (I did this last night for a Dove ice cream bar!)