Build your willpower muscle

Let me start with a confession. This article has been in the making for a while. It’s been quite a while since I wrote about having grit. So, why the delay? My excuse is that I was too busy resolving issues on the projects that I am managing. When I think back honestly, I realize that I lacked the willpower to sit down and write this summary of the 7th thing that successful people do differently. Ironically this is about building willpower.

What exactly is willpower? The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as the ability to control your own thoughts and the way in which you behave. Another definition is that it is the control exerted to do something or restrain impulses.

Why is willpower important to achieving goals? One thing common to all goals is resisting temptation and distractions. A goal involves taking some action which is often difficult, uninteresting and plain boring. Not taking that action is easy and alternate activities such as watching a movie, whiling away time on Facebook and responding to WhatsApp messages seem much more interesting and draw you away from the dull goal-oriented activities. Willpower is required to overcome such temptation and take the right action at the right time regardless of your feelings towards the task.

How does willpower work? Is it a characteristic that you are born with and you are either blessed with it or cursed by the lack of it? Research shows that this isn’t so. It is more like a muscle that can be developed with use. The analogy of a muscle is quite apt because just as a muscle gets tired with use, willpower also gets depleted. That sort of explains why after battling with issues on my project, I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and write this summary. ;)

If willpower is not some inherent capacity, how does one improve it? Continuing with the muscle analogy, like muscles, willpower can be developed by repeatedly exercising it. Researchers say that it can developed by just doing daily activities such as exercising, keeping track of your finances or what you are eating – or even just remembering to sit up straight every time you think of it. Also, like a muscle recovers after a period of rest, given time your willpower will be restored. When you feel that your willpower is depleted and that you may be unable to resist temptation, you can try boosting your mood by listening to a favorite song, watching a funny video, calling a good friend or reflecting on a past success. All these will help restore your self-control strength when you are looking for a quick fix.

In summary willpower is important if you want to achieve your goals and, in many ways, it is like a muscle. Here are some practical tips on how you can boost your willpower and achieve your goals:

1.      Willpower gets depleted with use. When you feel it is low, give yourself a rest before tackling a new self-control challenge.

2.      You can speed up recovery of willpower by doing something to lift your spirits such as rewarding yourself for good behavior or by just thinking of someone you know with lots of self-control.

3.      Your willpower muscle will grow with regular exercise. Before taking on a goal that requires lots of willpower (e.g., quitting smoking, radically changing your diet), start by strengthening your muscle with regular, less strenuous workouts. Add a few willpower challenges to your day (e.g., making your bed, sitting up straight, taking the stairs instead of the elevator) and build from there.