Cultivating an ability to control your desires is a worthwhile pursuit. I don’t just mean controlling the level of desire – I mean actually self-programming what you do and don’t want.
Solved problems aren’t necessarily solutions. Our brains are wired to want solved problems. We want to not be hungry, but that’s not the same as a solution to the problem of hunger. In other words, we seek out short-term results by nature.
Control that nature. Train yourself not just to not have bad things, but not to want them. And with good-but-difficult things, don’t just force yourself to do them, grumbling all the while. Condition yourself to want to do them.
Reward yourself if you need to. Trick your brain any way you can. Practice it until it sticks. Ultimately, your brain will do what it wants. Program it accordingly.
The Opportunity Machine 