Willpower

The best book I have read on strengthening willpower is Atomic Habits by James Clear. It is a guide to leveraging your willpower through habit reformation. The focus of the book is to train oneself to create tiny, consistent actions that compound over time to help us achieve our larger goals. Doing so can actually transform your life.

The American Psychological Association defines willpower as the ability to resist immediate urges so that long-term goals can be met, unwanted traits replaced and challenges are handled rationally, not emotionally.

Willpower resides in the prefrontal cortex, and its pathways can be rewired to suit any endeavor you choose, provided you persist in developing and nurturing them.
It was once thought that willpower was a depletable resource that could be worn down, causing you to give in. Newer research suggests that willpower is an unlimited resource that can be cultivated and strengthened.

The best way to increase willpower is to focus on three areas of your life: health, environment and strategy.

If you want to develop willpower, start with a rested mind – and that means enough sleep and practicing all that it takes to achieve good mental health. Good nutrition is also critical to keeping your constitution in fighting shape.

Second, the physical and social environment can dramatically affect one’s ability to sustain willpower. I have found that if I can get to my weight room - literally just walk into it - I am much more likely to achieve some type of workout.  As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “When you get up in the morning, don’t think, just move your body to the gym…The rest will take care of itself.” Being in the right physical environment alters your behavior.  If you don’t want to snack, then don’t read the newspaper in the kitchen. And choosing the people you hang around with will also increase or decrease your ability to stick to a goal. So, as your mother likely said, choose your friends wisely.

Finally, when one is looking to change habits and increase willpower, start small.  Pick a defined period of time, and you really, really can successfully perform a task. I just did a 24-hour cell phone fast! It was hard, but now I know I can do it. And I’ll shoot for a whole weekend next…and maybe someday even go a week!