If I was in the book store and saw the book, the Willpower Instinct, I would never have picked it up. I had no real expectations for reading this book to see how I could change some of my behaviors. But as I read it more throughout the semester I found it to be very beneficial. The topics are relatable for every kind of person’s situation. Whether someone is struggling with addictions, procrastination, or feel that they cannot help but give in to their impulses, this book will give them realistic ways to fix their bad habits.

One chapter that really stuck with me was chapter 7; Putting the Furniture on Sale: The Economics of Instant Gratification. The experiment in the chapter to make precommitments to our future selves. The strategy to reverse my preference helped me more than I could have imagined. I put my alarm clock on my dresser across the room verse on my bed and it made it very inconvenient to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. This helped me actually wake up with enough time to not rush around before work in the mornings.

Another chapter that I felt influenced not only my life but my mother as well as chapter 6; What the Hell: How Feeling Bad Leads to Giving In. Essentially the theory is that when people feel bad, they tend to cave into doing things they do not necessarily want to.  My mother and I have the habit of agreeing to do things for other people even though we deep down wanted to say no. However, we feel extremely saying no or letting someone down who needs our help. I shared with my mother the exercises in the chapter, and the most useful one was saying no to people when they asked me to do something. It helped me from caving into doing things I did not want to do and also helped my mother start to do the same.

Overall this book was helpful for myself, and I find myself continuing the exercises explained within the chapters. I will tell other people to take this book and read it and participate in the exercises given. It has truly helped me improve my own personal habits and behaviors.