I have a very strong tendency to save things for later. To not wear something because it’s for a more special occasion, to not eat something because it’s for a more special meal, and even to not say things until it’s a more noteworthy date (big acts of love on Valentine’s Day but not a random Tuesday for example). The basic idea at play is delayed gratification. There are some times when delayed gratification is good. But I’ve been thinking about how if you’ve gotten a bit too good at it, the delays just might back fire and the satisfaction is voided.
There is a well known experiment where little kids were left in a room with a marshmallow and told if they could wait a certain amount of time without eating it – they would get two marshmallows. For little kids this was tough (and many favorable and later largely debunked conclusions were drawn on those that could vs. those that could not wait) but for the average adult waiting in order to get a better reward isn’t such a big challenge. But is it waiting always worth it? Is it always the right choice?
I could wait for two marshmallows. In fact, I’d probably ask for a baggie so I could take them home for even later, so I could have them as smores on a perfect fall night, roasted over a fire pit I would need to build. I’m not even kidding -I would probably be sketching the fire pit design while waiting for the 2nd marshmallow.
For most, waiting for the second marshmallow would be a normal amount of delayed gratification and in this case might be lauded as impulse control, as will power, as restraint. But at some point, if you delay too long those marshmallows get stale and dried up and then all the anticipation is a total loss. All that restraint results in zero satisfaction. The photo at the top of this blog is peppermint marshmallows I’ve had in the pantry for 9 months because I was 100% saving them for later and I took them out of the pantry to take this photo and discovered they are absolutely no longer at their best.
It also happened recently like this – a decade or so ago we were in London and bought my daughter a really cute bag. It looks like an owl and is amazing. Instead of encouraging her to carry it whenever she wanted to, I instead encouraged her to take care of it and save it for special occasions. She recently took that bag out for a trip, and while theoretically still in basically new condition, the faux leather had decayed over time and the finish on the bag proceeded to flake off during the entire trip. So much for satisfaction. Sure, the story could be different if it was real leather, but let’s be real. It’s a $30 bag that’s been mostly stored for a decade and all I can ask is why?
How many of us are really all that excited about something we bought 10 years ago? What did I really think she (I) was saving it for? Did I honestly presume that the bag she picked as an early teen would be the bag she would still be thrilled to carry at 20? at 30? at 40?
In the moments of the great flaking off, I felt the loss not only of the bag itself, but of all the times the bag was in it’s prime and it wasn’t carried. And now, without nearly the amount of use it could have had, without the joy it could have brought, it has likely drifted to loss. The idea of some better or more appropriate “later” created space for the waste of the bag. I’ve had it happen with clothes that no longer fit because my body changed (as they forever will do), shoes where the glue and fabrics didn’t last, seeds and bulbs that dried to useless husks because I meant to plant them when I had just the right space ready.
I recently read a book on the history of fabrics and found it interesting that most of that history is known because of receipts and because of the tools used to make fabrics. The fabric itself has not survived even though the fabric was at the moment critically important to so many parts of life for a very large percentage of the population. We have historical ages know as the copper, bronze and iron age because the metal lasted and lasting (permanence) was associated with importance. But I’m no longer sure that the most important things are the ones that are still on the shelf in perfect (or near enough to perfect) condition.
Is the more important thing the nearly new teddy bear on the shelf or the one with half its fur rubbed off from the adventures it was carried on?
I suppose this is a long winding path to say that I’m trying to be done treating the things I’ve bought (or thought) for joy like museum pieces to be stored and saved and only used in perfect moments. I’m so very tired of waiting for perfect moments that never really arrive when I’m looking for them, that like joy – simply can’t be scheduled. I’m trying to treat Tuesday like it’s special (I mean, it is – none of us knows how many Tuesday’s we get – but it’s not as many as you might think). I’m trying to fully enjoy the things I’m invested my time and resources into, both physical things and the thoughts and ideas that I’ve been holding onto for “later”.
And, yes, I of course consider this a part of my yoga journey. Letting things, ideas, and words be used fully and enjoyed is a part of presence, of living fully in this moment. While saving things “for later” has it’s place in building security and stability, this moment is the only one that is guaranteed. So tell someone you love them now, not on a “special” holiday. Explore the ideas you have and try to release the imposter syndrome that might be saying you aren’t ready for your biggest ideas or dreams. Wear the shoes if they make you happy. And carry the Owl bag until it falls apart because you loved it so much you took it everywhere. Life is to short to not pursue joy fully.
Journal Prompt: In pursuing a more perfect “later”, what are you saving, not using, or withholding from yourself right now? When do you plan to use those things? What has gone to waste in your life because you didn’t use it before it expired or otherwise became unusable?
Physical Prompt: The next time you are in a more active yoga practice, notice where you might be holding back (i.e. saving something for later). This isn’t an invitation to be physically reckless, but a place to get curious – at the end of the practice do you feel energetically like you left everything you wanted to on the mat? Do you hold yourself in certain versions of shapes/asanas because you feel stable in them and you don’t want anyone to see you wobble?
All content I share here, elsewhere on my websites and in social media is created by me, Alison Gurevich – and not AI or other sources unless otherwise specifically attributed. This includes all photographs, writing, and ideas. All rights reserved by Alison Gurevich. “Just Use It” was originally published to www.breathtomotion.com on August 26, 2025. When you find typos or grammar errors, celebrate humanity and enjoy a little song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wKzyIN1yk (Human by Rag N Bone Man).