Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

Catholicism. When practised correctly, there is an enormous emphasis on self-control, mastering the passions, letting go of the ego, preferring humility, simplicity and the needs of others over immediate self-gratification. Fasting and chastity are great practices that build spiritual and mental strength.

You don't have an underlying medical problem, you're fine, you're just wired to want to solve the problem as fast as possible. It's not a bad thing. It's an awesome thing, that's what motivates you. I'd have you on my team! for every engineer like you, there's another who's wired to come up with the most insanely flexible solution possible. Sometimes the quick solution is needed, and sometimes the flexible solution is needed. If I was doling out work, I'd give you the important stuff that needs to be done now, and I'll give the infrastructure work to the other guy.

Some things I'd recommend, off the top of my head:

- Do not grab phone/computer etc. and mindlessly browse first thing in the morning. (Or before bed. Or at any time really.) But doing it first thing really starts your day on the wrong foot.

- When seeking to relax, do not mindlessly browse the internet/social-media/tv. Read an enjoyable book. This is an order of magnitude more fulfilling and beneficial to you. And genuinely more relaxing: screens are stimulating, and might let you 'relax' in the sense that you can momentarily be completely absorbed in something 'other', and forget your day to day life; but they don't relax you in the sense of being calm and contemplative (in general, in my experience).

- Reduce instant gratification from as many areas as possible. Do things that are rewarding longer term. Like reading, cooking, growing plants, hiking, etc.

- Cut video games.

- Block facebook + reddit + sites you waste a lot of time on, from main computer. Maybe have a secondary device you use to access these sites, for a set period each day (I recommend this mainly because it can be quite difficult to maintain a social life without facebook, (which is a terrible state of affairs)). Have days where you don't go onto these sites at all.

- Spend as little time on screens as is possible -> if you can work on paper do so

- have a regular exercise regime. eg. swim/run. Doing first thing in the morning really helps set your day on the right track, you have already exerted a good amount of self discipline, and achieved something, and this makes it easier to continue being disciplined.

- I recommend reading 'The Power of Habit'.

> already flexed your self discipline muscle

...what? Is there any evidence that self discipline needs to warm up?

Growing older always helps with this.