We all have willpower. If you can learn to harness the power of extreme willpower you can make yourself do anything you want. It isn’t something new or something you’ve encountered before. It’s just a skill that takes time and patience to develop and master.
What is willpower?
Willpower is the ability to control your emotions, behavior, and desires in order to gain a reward or avoid some kind of punishment. It is also sometime referred to as self-regulation or self-control.
Willpower can be thought of kind of like how much drive and determination do you have while maintaining control of your thoughts and actions. If you have strong willpower you can overcome obstacles like sleep, eating, smoking, bad habits, bad choices, etc.
How do I know if I have enough willpower?
Give yourself some basic tests. Find something that your really want to eat or really want to do. If you smoke that will work also. Put it somewhere visible or set yourself up to do that thing you want. Now right when you start to make the move for what you want, stop and do nothing. Don’t use, touch, eat, smoke, etc. the thing that you are craving. See how long you can go without it.
If you made it only a few seconds then your willpower needs boosting. If you made it a day then that’s better. If you quit completely and it’s something your really wanted to, then you don’t need to keep reading good job.
Here are some tricks and advice in a list format to help you get more willpower.
- Practice holding out and withdrawal. The longer you can go while holding back the better your self control will get.
- Stay distracted. When you come to something you want to do, but know you need to hold off, use distraction to help calm your urges. If you find something else to do that takes your mind off the subject, then those cravings will pass and the urge will disappear This works well if it’s something you can get sucked into.
- Use positive affirmations to reaffirm what you need to do. Repeat to yourself that you don’t need to do something and you need something else. Fill in the blanks with real motives.
- Learn everything you can. If you are trying to quit something that might be bad for you, then learn why. See all the details right in front of your face and take them into consideration. Boost you self control with knowledge and strong understanding of why you need to do something different.
- Reward yourself for resisting. When you are trying to apply self control then reward yourself for the progress. Nothing reaffirms your mind more than a nice reward for good behavior.
- Make it a core belief that you are in control of your life and you choose what you do. If you don’t know how read my article on changing limiting beliefs.
- Refuse to _______ If you refuse to do something and make yourself stubborn, then you will be able to control the things you do. For example I refuse to shave after my shower. I just won’t do it.
- Make good decisions easier. It doesn’t always have to be the hard way in order to come out ahead. If you are having trouble with a particular habit or choice, make the right one easier to choose.
- If all else fails you can get support to back up your motives. Willpower is a personal trait, but it never hurts to have someone reaffirm that your new choice is better.