IN AND OUT OF THE WILLPOWER
willpower is the key to success. successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy ,doubt or fear .
~ Dan Millman
Hey folks, I have some simple questions before starting this article, try to relate and find your answer:
Are you able to stick to the plans you made for your exam preparation? Are you able to follow your diet completely? Do you stick to your fitness routine? Are you able to control your Procrastination?
If your answer to the above Questions is a NO then you have a problem of weak willpower.
The Oxford dictionary explains Willpower as “control of one's impulses and actions; determination; self-control.”
In simple words willpower means “the ability to control oneself and determine one's actions” or “Firmness of will”.
In my last Post “The power of focus” In which I talked about the importance of being focused towards the goal and after reading the post many people told me that it is hard for them to focus one thing for a longer tenure in fact many people said it’s impossible to implement.
After hearing to all these reviews I realized that the main problem behind these review is lack of will power. People are short of willpower and determination to sustain chasing their goal.So let us have view over the will power.
HOW DO WILLPOWER WORK.?
Kelly McGonigal, PhD and author of The Willpower Instinct says willpower is a response that comes from both the brain and the body.
The prefrontal cortex (that section of the brain right behind your forehead) is the part that helps us with things like decision-making and regulating our behavior. Self-control, or willpower, falls under this heading, and thus is taken care of in this part of the brain.
To be effective at controlling our urges and making sound decisions, the prefrontal cortex needs to be looked after. That means feeding it with good-quality food so it has enough energy to do its job and getting enough sleep.
HOW DOES WILL POWER DEPLETS ?
McGonigal points out that one of the most replicated findings about willpower is that it seems to be finite—that is, we only have so much and it runs out as we use it.
Are you able to stick to the plans you made for your exam preparation? Are you able to follow your diet completely? Do you stick to your fitness routine? Are you able to control your Procrastination?
If your answer to the above Questions is a NO then you have a problem of weak willpower.
The Oxford dictionary explains Willpower as “control of one's impulses and actions; determination; self-control.”
In simple words willpower means “the ability to control oneself and determine one's actions” or “Firmness of will”.
In my last Post “The power of focus” In which I talked about the importance of being focused towards the goal and after reading the post many people told me that it is hard for them to focus one thing for a longer tenure in fact many people said it’s impossible to implement.
After hearing to all these reviews I realized that the main problem behind these review is lack of will power. People are short of willpower and determination to sustain chasing their goal.So let us have view over the will power.
HOW DO WILLPOWER WORK.?
Kelly McGonigal, PhD and author of The Willpower Instinct says willpower is a response that comes from both the brain and the body.
The prefrontal cortex (that section of the brain right behind your forehead) is the part that helps us with things like decision-making and regulating our behavior. Self-control, or willpower, falls under this heading, and thus is taken care of in this part of the brain.
To be effective at controlling our urges and making sound decisions, the prefrontal cortex needs to be looked after. That means feeding it with good-quality food so it has enough energy to do its job and getting enough sleep.
HOW DOES WILL POWER DEPLETS ?
McGonigal points out that one of the most replicated findings about willpower is that it seems to be finite—that is, we only have so much and it runs out as we use it.
Trying to control your temper, ignore distractions or refuse seconds all tap the same source of strength.
We can look at willpower like a muscle—it can get exhausted by overuse, but just like our physical muscles, there are some researchers who believe we might be able to strengthen our willpower by training it.
Many people believe they could improve their lives if only they had more of that mysterious thing called willpower. With more self-control we would all eat right, exercise regularly, avoid drugs and alcohol, save for retirement, stop procrastinating, and achieve all sorts of noble goals.
At its essence, willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. And there are good reasons to do so.
Now as we know the problem let us try to look for the solution:
First of all we need to understand that we are not born with the willpower, we must build it like a muscle with continuous effort and Repetition. So if you lack willpower then don’t worry just remember it’s never too late to start , you build a super will power now .
Let us see few points to increase our willpower :
1. Increase your capacity for pressure (Learn how to manage stress): At first we need to manage our stress. Being under high levels of stress means that our body’s energy is used up in acting instinctively and making decisions based on short-term outcomes. Our prefrontal cortex loses out in the battle for our energy when high-stress is involved. McGonigal says that stopping to take a few deep breaths when we feel overwhelmed or tempted can be a great start in managing our stress levels and improving our willpower.
2. Encourage yourself to stick to your plans: To make it even easier, it appears that self-affirmation can even help you to have more self-control when you’re running out, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. A good example of this is the difference between telling yourself “I can’t” and “I don’t.” Taking back control of the situation using the phrase “I don’t” has been shown to be more effective at helping you to stick to your plan and break bad habits- if you tell yourself you can’t, you are creating a feedback loop that keeps you reminding of your limitation and this whole process suggest you are forcing yourself to do things you don’t want.
3. Get more sleep to help your brain manage energy better : McGonigal also says getting enough sleep makes a big difference to how efficiently our prefrontal cortex works- sleep deprivation (even just getting less than six hours a night) is a kind of chronic stress that impairs how the body and brain use energy. The prefrontal cortex is especially hard hit and it loses control over the regions of the brain that create cravings and the stress response.
And if you’re wondering how much sleep is enough, here’s a rough guide: one of the most acclaimed sleep researchers, Daniel Kripke, found in a recent study that “people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, live the longest, are happier and most productive”.
4. Postpone things for later to gain focus on what is important now: Postponing something you really shouldn't have can be effective if you’re trying to break a bad habit. In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Roy F. Baumeister explains that people who tell themselves “not now, but later,” are generally less tormented by the temptation of something they are trying to avoid.
5. Create powerful habit, Rituals and routine: Building on the last point, creating rituals is a great way to remove needless decision-making from your day. Once something has been turned into a habit, you don’t even have to think about it. You do it without using any of your willpower. Every morning, I start my day with the same 20- 30 minute power routine to get me in an optimal physical, emotional and intellectual state.Each step of the ritual is carefully choreographed for optimal results, yet it requires no willpower on my part because it’s engrained in my ritual.
At its essence, willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. And there are good reasons to do so.
Now as we know the problem let us try to look for the solution:
First of all we need to understand that we are not born with the willpower, we must build it like a muscle with continuous effort and Repetition. So if you lack willpower then don’t worry just remember it’s never too late to start , you build a super will power now .
Let us see few points to increase our willpower :
1. Increase your capacity for pressure (Learn how to manage stress): At first we need to manage our stress. Being under high levels of stress means that our body’s energy is used up in acting instinctively and making decisions based on short-term outcomes. Our prefrontal cortex loses out in the battle for our energy when high-stress is involved. McGonigal says that stopping to take a few deep breaths when we feel overwhelmed or tempted can be a great start in managing our stress levels and improving our willpower.
2. Encourage yourself to stick to your plans: To make it even easier, it appears that self-affirmation can even help you to have more self-control when you’re running out, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. A good example of this is the difference between telling yourself “I can’t” and “I don’t.” Taking back control of the situation using the phrase “I don’t” has been shown to be more effective at helping you to stick to your plan and break bad habits- if you tell yourself you can’t, you are creating a feedback loop that keeps you reminding of your limitation and this whole process suggest you are forcing yourself to do things you don’t want.
3. Get more sleep to help your brain manage energy better : McGonigal also says getting enough sleep makes a big difference to how efficiently our prefrontal cortex works- sleep deprivation (even just getting less than six hours a night) is a kind of chronic stress that impairs how the body and brain use energy. The prefrontal cortex is especially hard hit and it loses control over the regions of the brain that create cravings and the stress response.
And if you’re wondering how much sleep is enough, here’s a rough guide: one of the most acclaimed sleep researchers, Daniel Kripke, found in a recent study that “people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, live the longest, are happier and most productive”.
4. Postpone things for later to gain focus on what is important now: Postponing something you really shouldn't have can be effective if you’re trying to break a bad habit. In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Roy F. Baumeister explains that people who tell themselves “not now, but later,” are generally less tormented by the temptation of something they are trying to avoid.
5. Create powerful habit, Rituals and routine: Building on the last point, creating rituals is a great way to remove needless decision-making from your day. Once something has been turned into a habit, you don’t even have to think about it. You do it without using any of your willpower. Every morning, I start my day with the same 20- 30 minute power routine to get me in an optimal physical, emotional and intellectual state.Each step of the ritual is carefully choreographed for optimal results, yet it requires no willpower on my part because it’s engrained in my ritual.

