Do you make resolutions but are not able to carry them out? Do you make promises to yourself but forget about them after a short time? This happens when willpower and discipline are not strong enough.
Do you sometimes ask yourself:
- How can I strengthen my willpower?
- How can I possess a stronger will?
- Why do I lack willpower?
When do you feel that you don’t possess enough willpower?
This often happens, when you need to take action and to make things happen.
This happens when you make a decision but are unable to carry it through.
It also happens when you start a new project, which requires that you step out of your comfort zone.
In all these instances, willpower and discipline are lacking. In this article, I will talk about willpower. You can find information about discipline in other articles.
Willpower is an important skill that everyone needs and is most useful in all areas of life. However, few possess a reasonable degree of it, and most people hardly do anything to improve it.
Most people are not born with strong willpower, but it is possible to improve it, like any other skill.
If you do not possess a strong willpower, this could be due to three main reasons:
- You do not know how to strengthen your willpower. This skill is not taught in schools, and most people don’t even think about the possibility of improving it.
- You want immediate results, with no effort, something that does not exist.
- You believe that it is not possible to strengthen the willpower, or that it requires too much time and effort.
Is It Possible to Strengthen the Willpower?
Yes, it is possible, in the same way that you strengthen your muscles. With some training and exercises, you can improve it considerably.
Training and increasing your willpower is not as tough and difficult as you might think. It can be fun, and is a most rewarding experience that will increase your inner strength and improve your ability to accomplish plans and goals.
How Dictionaries to Define Willpower?
Dictionary.com defines willpower as, “Control of one’s impulses and actions; self-control.”
Cambridge defines it as, “The ability to control your own thoughts and the way in which you behave.”
A Simple Exercise to Increase Willpower
There are various ways and exercises to increase willpower.
One of them is doing whatever task or chore you have, immediately and without delay. It is a simple and effective technique. Just start acting without any procrastination, and regardless of how you feel at that moment and how busy you are.
You might feel lazy, and try to postpone carrying out the task for some other time. However, if you wish to make your willpower strong, this is the exact and right time to ignore the objections of your mind and set out to carry out the task.
This could be any task, such as washing the dishes, emptying the garbage can, sitting down to study for an examination, or to repair something at home.
How to Strengthen Your Willpower – “Starting Small”
The right way is to start small. If want to lift 50 KG at the gym, and you are not trained and strong enough, you will not be able to lift them. However, if you start with only a few kilograms, with training, you would gradually be able to lift more weight, and eventually, you might be able lift 50 KG.
So it is with willpower. As you work at increasing it, gradually, you would have more strength, and be able to do greater things.
There are various ways to increase your willpower, which you can read about at this website. You can find many simple, but most effective exercises in the book Build up Strong Willpower and Self Discipline.
The exercises and guidance will help you develop both willpower and self-discipline, which you will be able to use in every area of your life.
The inner strength you will gain would help you take action and follow through with bodybuilding and exercising, losing weight, carrying out decisions, becoming a leader, and achieving success in business or any other area.
Willpower, together with self-discipline, can help you master your life and reach far.
When trying to improve your willpower, don’t try to quit smoking immediately, on the first day, or starve yourself to death in order to lose weight quickly, because it would probably not work. You don’t have yet enough “willpower muscles” to do so.
It is wiser to start with small and simple tasks, and gradually, as your willpower increases, try to carry out bigger tasks.
People want fast results, especially in this age of the Internet, computers and smartphones. It seems that the average attention span has become short, and the patience level is low. People say, “If I don’t get what i want now, I won’t try at all.”
People expect to quit smoking now, lose weight now, and get rich now. That’s not the right attitude if you want real results.
There are all kinds of products and methods that promise instant success with no effort on your part. However, not everything is available immediately like preparing a cup of instant coffee or pouring corn flakes into a dish for breakfast.
Can you learn to fly a plane, build a bridge or become a successful writer instantly or in just 10 days?
Everything worthwhile takes time and requires some effort, willpower, discipline and motivation.
You need to be patient, do a few exercises a day, and in time, you will be able to handle matters that require more willpower. As this skill gets stronger, you will be able to do things that seem impossible for you now.
How to Strengthen Your Willpower Muscles?
As said earlier, start with small and not so important tasks. This is like training your muscles with light weights at first.
I would like to suggest another kind of exercise.
If you feel thirsty, hungry, or feel the need to go to the bathroom while watching a movie on TV, don’t tell yourself, “I’ll wait until the commercial break”. Get up immediately and go to drink, to eat, or to the bathroom. Get up, even if the movie is interesting and you might miss a few moments.
When you make a decision and carry it immediately, without any procrastination, you manifest willpower.
This action imprints on your mind the fact that you can make decisions and follow them through, despite inner resistance. This is not a difficult thing to do and does not require any physical effort.
The more you practice this exercise, and other exercises, the easier it would become to practice the exercises, and the more inner strength you acquire. In time, you will be able to do easily greater things that now seem impossible.
Gradually, you will find yourself taking on bigger tasks and actions to build your willpower muscles, and you would be able to practice them successfully.
When Is the Best Time to Increase Your Willpower?
- Any time of the day and night is suitable for strengthening on improving your willpower.
- Whenever there is a task or chore to carry out, at work, at home, or at any other place or situation, strive to carry it out immediately, without any procrastination.
- Whenever you feel lack of motivation, a tendency to procrastinate, or laziness, it is a good time to get up and do what you need to do, despite the inner resistance.
I don’t say it is easy, but is simple and most rewarding. You will get things done and feel satisfied, happy and strong afterwards.
More Advice
Here is another piece of advice. Don’t overthink when you need to do something. This is just a waste of time and might lead to procrastination.
You would be surprised at how great you would feel after exercising your willpower. You will be surprised to see how fast your willpower will grow, and how easy it would be to use it whenever you need it, for carrying out small tasks and goals, and for accomplishing big tasks and goals.
Remember, when you learn to strengthen your willpower, and keep working on increasing it, it would keep getting stronger, and you would be able to use it for every aim and purpose.
Increasing and boosting willpower is within your reach.
Quotes to Inspire You to Strengthen Your Willpower
“Many men and women in the world demonstrate great willpower and self-discipline in overcoming bad habits and the weaknesses of the flesh.”
– Ezra Taft Benson
“Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear.”
– Dan Millman
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
“The will is the keystone in the arch of human achievement. It is the culmination of our complex mental faculties. It is the power that rules minds, men and nations.”
– Thomas Parker Boyd
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
– Vince Lombardi
If you wish to improve this important skill, as well as your self-discipline, you will find the book Build Up Strong Willpower and Self Discipline most useful.
About the Author
Remez Sasson is the founder of SuccessConsciousness.com, a leading resource for personal growth and self-transformation. With decades of experience in self-improvement and meditation, Remez has empowered countless individuals worldwide to unlock their potential.
Join him on an extraordinary journey to self-improvement, success, positivity, inner peace, meditation, clarity, and personal mastery through his articles, books, and the comprehensive resources on his website.