self-control

I was recently listening to an a short piece on NPR that discussed self-control.  According to social scientists, there are three things that largely affect and define a child's success in life: IQ, the family's socio-economic status, and self-control.  Self-control is the only one of those three that is relatively easy to change.  The reporter talked about how kids with less self-control  were more likely to be substance abusers, have financial issues, have a criminal record, have more health problems, etc.  When you think about it, that all sounds pretty logical. 

I never realized before how much self-control can affect our lives.  This made me think about self-control in my own life...  In what areas do I lack self-control?  How are these things affecting my overall success and happiness in life?  It's something worth pondering...