Willpower is defined as control exerted to do something or restrain impulses. Many people believe their lives would be drastically improved if they had more willpower. Lack of willpower is often the reason people fail to reach their goals. Quitting smoking and restraining from junk food are two very good examples of things that take strong willpower. The temptation is often so strong to light that cigarette or eat that cheeseburger, so many people cannot meet their goals. The secret to gaining strong willpower is to train your mind. Avoiding triggers, starting small, and giving yourself an incentive or reward are just a few ways you can improve your willpower. Willpower is a mind game but it most definitely can be improved and you can become mentally tough.
Hi Alexa, that is such an interesting topic!
ReplyDeleteAs humans, whether we are kids (the marshmallow test) or adults, our impulses are what drives us in many situations, and sometimes it is just so hard to imagine the better, fuller reward available in the future in contrast to the one that is right in front of us, but of a smaller caliber. Human lives are like a constant battle of wills against ourselves.
Hi Alexa,
ReplyDeleteI agree that lack of willpower is often the reason why people fail to reach their goals. Most individuals want to have control of their lives and their goals. They set goals to quit eating unhealthy foods to improve their health, but when they fail they feel guilty about it. Like you said, the key to having self-control when people don’t have it is to start slowly and gradually build up the control desired. They should reinforce their good behavior by self rewarding, therefore training their willpower. If a person is trying to stop smoking, they can have a cheat day where they can smoke, or if they are trying something else they can just buy something they like in general. They should do this until they want to attempt to no longer use cheat days and see if they can wean off at that point. This will eventually give them the willpower to quit for good. Also, they must use negative reinforcement if the person fails to hit the self-control goals they had. If a person can master self control, their lives will change for good. Great topic.