“You need Willpower to be successful!”
Ever heard that statement?
Every Self-Improvement Guru seems to be shouting it from the rooftops.
DISCIPLINE. GRIND. SUFFER. WILL. AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
a bit too aggressive for my taste…
I’m here to tell you: Thats not correct!
For the average human being it takes more than just “grinding through the pain” to stick to healthy behaviors.
Here’s why:
Willpower is like a muscle – The more you use it the more tired it gets.
The Consequence?
Overuse your willpower and your decision making will get worse throughout your day.
In the morning you go to the gym, eat your acai bowls, go on walks, read, meditate and by evening time you’re getting blackout drunk and book a first class ticket to Zanzibar (ok maybe not that extreme but you get my point…)
So what to do instead?
Avoid using your willpower by creating an environment that doesn’t need it!
Here’s how:
1. Create one space for work and one for relaxation
Only 16% of mental breakthroughs happen at work.
84% come when you relax and allow your mind to wander.
Give your brain the chance to create new connections.
Key Lesson:
Don’t work where you relax.
2. Remove dead weight from your environment.
Dead weight is:
- Wasting time on the internet
- Unhealthy foods
Drop the weight by:
- Delete distracting apps
- Remove unhealthy food from your home
Recognize the dead weight and let it go.
3. Formulate “if-then” responses
Recognize where you might fail and choose the alternative.
- If I want to go on Instagram, then I will read a book instead.
- If I want a Coke, then I drink water instead.
After some time, the “if” to the “then” becomes automatic.
4. Use Forcing Functions
Remove the ability to choose.
- When you want to spend time with family – leave your phone in the car.
- When you want to eat healthy – don’t put unhealthy food in your home.
That’s it.
Take care of your enviornment and you won’t need to use your willpower muscle.
Use your willpower only when its TRULY necessary. That’s the secret on how you can finally stick to your goals and do what you said you gonna do.
