Willpower Is BS
Willpower is BS
By Shane Sauer
When it comes to changing your habits, what is your biggest challenge?
The most common response I receive when I ask this question is a “LACK OF WILLPOWER.”
Does that ring true for you?
So what is willpower? The textbook definition of willpower is “the conscious decision to act despite not being motivated to act.” In other words, it’s making a decision to do something you really don’t want to do.
Now, if that’s the case, I would argue that we all have willpower. From the time you decide to get out of a warm bed to the time you decide to get off the comfy couch to crawl into a cold bed, there are numerous things you choose to do that go against what you want at that moment. So, we all have willpower.
The challenge is being able to call upon your willpower at the moment that you really need it. When you’re making a change in your life, it’s important to recognize that you really don’t need willpower 24 hours a day, you only need it for a few minutes here and there! Doesn’t that seem a little less daunting?
It’s exhausting to be perfect all the time. It’s much easier to plan for the moments when you need some willpower. Or, better yet, make plans to avoid the need for willpower altogether!
Ask yourself these questions before embarking on your change:
When will you have to take action to achieve your goal?
Can you change your environment to make that action easier or eliminate it?
Is there someone who can help you take action?
Can you make the other options less desirable?
It’s amazing what you can achieve with a little forethought and planning. Answering these questions will help you identify when you will encounter challenges that require willpower and give you the tools you can use to summon that power or avoid the challenge in the first place.
I do recognize that this takes some work. And you should know that it could take a few tries to get this right. And if you suffer a setback, remember that you were not lacking the innate skill of willpower, but proper planning. And planning, unlike an innate skill, is something that can be modified quickly and easily.
When the time comes that you need some guidance in this process, know that I’m here and happy to help!