“I’m Almost There”: The Nigerian Habit of Postponing Enjoyment Until Life Gets Better

Even Enjoyment Has Started Feeling Like an Investment

Part of the problem is that we have become accustomed to justifying almost everything through its future benefits. We learn a skill because it might increase our income, attend events because we might meet useful contacts, and spend weekends working on personal projects because we hope they will eventually improve our circumstances. These are sensible decisions, especially when the economy makes financial security difficult to achieve, but they can become exhausting when every waking hour must contribute to a bigger plan.

Imagine rejecting every invitation from your friends because you are trying to save money, only to discover that you have barely spoken to some of them a year later. Or imagine spending your twenties working relentlessly towards a better future while constantly telling yourself that you will travel, explore new places or develop hobbies when you finally have enough money. Saving and planning are important, but a life made up entirely of preparation can leave you with very little to remember beyond the things you were trying to achieve.

Enjoyment does not have to mean expensive holidays or reckless spending. It might be buying your favourite food on a Friday, visiting a new part of Lagos, watching a film with friends, learning to cook something different or spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing productive. Small experiences might not transform your financial situation, but they can make the process of building a better life feel less like an endless punishment.

Lagos Will Teach You to Postpone Almost Anything

Living in a city like Lagos can make the temptation to postpone enjoyment even stronger. Transport costs money, food costs money, rent is waiting around the corner, and a simple outing can become surprisingly expensive once you include transportation, refreshments and other unexpected expenses. When you are trying to remain financially responsible, staying home can feel like the only sensible option.

Yet there is a difference between making sacrifices because your finances genuinely require them and automatically assuming that you cannot enjoy yourself until your circumstances improve. You might not be able to afford a weekend getaway, but you could explore a nearby beach on a budget, visit a friend, discover a local restaurant or organise a simple evening with people you enjoy being around. The point is not to pretend that money does not matter; it is to recognise that enjoyment can exist within your current reality instead of being reserved exclusively for a wealthier version of yourself.

Of course, there are seasons when survival has to come first. If you are struggling to pay rent, manage debt or put food on the table, nobody should be pressuring you to spend money on leisure. But when every small pleasure is postponed automatically, even during periods when you could reasonably afford it, it may be worth asking whether you are being financially disciplined or simply afraid to give yourself permission to live.

Your Future Self Might Be Tired of Waiting

One of the assumptions behind postponing enjoyment is that our future selves will have more money, more time, fewer responsibilities and a better understanding of what makes us happy. Sometimes that happens, but life rarely becomes completely free of complications. A better-paying job might come with longer hours, marriage might introduce new responsibilities, and increased income might bring expectations that make it difficult to save as much as you planned.

There is also no guarantee that the things you imagine wanting in the future will remain equally important to you. The friends you keep postponing may move away, the places you want to visit may change, and the activities you have always wanted to try may become less accessible as your responsibilities grow. That does not mean you should abandon your ambitions or spend recklessly while you are young; it simply means that time is part of the equation, and money cannot always recover the experiences we repeatedly choose to delay.

Perhaps the better question is not whether you should enjoy yourself now or prepare for tomorrow, but how to make reasonable room for both. You can save towards a major goal while setting aside a small amount for experiences you value, work towards a promotion while protecting some personal time, and build a business without making your entire identity dependent on its success.

Start Small, but Stop Waiting for Permission

You do not need to make a dramatic lifestyle change to break the habit of postponing everything enjoyable. Start by identifying one affordable thing you have been putting off and make a realistic plan to do it. If you want to explore somewhere new, research the transport costs before ruling it out; if you miss your friends, suggest a simple get-together instead of waiting for everyone to afford an expensive outing; and if you have been working continuously, deliberately protect a few hours for rest without feeling guilty about the time you did not spend being productive.

The same principle applies to bigger ambitions. You can celebrate small professional wins before landing your dream job, enjoy your current home while saving towards a better one, and take pride in your progress even when you have not reached your financial targets. You do not have to broadcast these experiences online or compete with anybody else's lifestyle. Sometimes, the most satisfying moments are the ones you enjoy without needing to prove that they happened.

Conclusion: Life Is Not Waiting for Your Salary Alert

There is nothing wrong with wanting more from life, especially when your present circumstances are difficult and you know you are capable of achieving greater things. Keep working, keep saving and keep making plans, but be careful not to turn the future into the only place where happiness is allowed to exist.

You might earn more next year, move into a better apartment in two years or finally start the business you have been thinking about for months. Those are worthwhile goals, but you are still going to experience ordinary Tuesdays, stressful commutes, funny conversations, unexpected good news and small opportunities to make a memory along the way.

You can be serious about building your future without treating your present life like a waiting room.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying, “When I finally make it, I will start enjoying myself,” pause for a moment and ask a different question: What is one small thing I can enjoy now without compromising the future I am working towards?

You may not have everything you want yet, but that does not mean every good part of life has to wait until you do.