Your mind is an incredibly complex and powerful thing. it determines how you see and interact with the world around you, as well as how you see yourself. Unfortunately, some parts of your mind can work against you, which is where having the willpower to stick to your plan is vital if you’re going to do what you want to do.
What is willpower?
Willpower is just your ability to give up what you want now so you can get what you want the most, later on. It’s what lets you walk an extra block past the fast food place when you’re hungry, so you make it home to your healthy meal rather than enjoy the short term satisfaction of a burger and fries.
Imagine your mind has two people in it; the child who wants what it wants, and wants it now, and the adult who plans well ahead and makes decisions based on logic and reason.
These two are always telling you different things. The child wants ice cream, wants to do something fun, wants to have it's way. The adult tells you that the ice cream is bad for your diet, that you’ve got things you should be doing besides playing around, and that you have a schedule to keep.
It takes willpower to ignore the child and be the adult. You don’t have to do it all the time, but when it’s something important, difficult or unpleasant, you need to be able to make the right choice.
How do I exercise my willpower?
Willpower is like any other skill, the more you use it, the better you are with it. Sticking to your guns and doing what you set out to do, no matter how hard it gets is the best way to develop your willpower. This is true whether it’s a physical or mental challenge.
If you’re looking to develop willpower, the simplest way is to step out of your comfort zone, and stay there. Not a morning person? Wake up half an hour earlier and go for a jog. Keep doing it no matter what time you went to bed the night before, or how cold it is, or how uncomfortable your runners might be. Set yourself a task and stick to it, regardless of how easy it is to let it drop. Focus on what you want to get, rather than what you’re missing out on.
You will fail sometimes, but coming back from that helps exercise your willpower too. It becomes easier and easier the more you get used to being uncomfortable so you can be the person you want to be.
Ignoring the difficulties and simply choosing to see it through will develop your willpower every time you do it. A strong will gives you the strength to get up when everyone else would stay down. To keep moving when every part of you wants to stop, and to try again and again when everyone is saying that it’s hopeless. It’s that little voice that tells you to take one more step, one more rep or one more stroke. In short, it separates those that do from those that only wish they could.
The true secret of willpower is realising that you don’t need to like something to do it. Liking something is optional, and in the end, it’s irrelevant. Doing something you don’t like to get something you want or need is what willpower is all about. digging through that mud to get to the diamond. Doing the extra overtime to earn that promotion. Putting in those long hours of sweat to hit the beach in Summer. Taking short term pain for long term gain is the mark of a person with strong willpower.
It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s plain torture, but building up your willpower will always be something that pays you back later.
Conclusion:
So there you have it, a couple of quick ideas about willpower. Taking all the
protein powder supplements, multivitamins, and
mass gainers in the world will do you nothing if you don't have the willpower to get into shape. Having a strong will shall get you respect from those that have it too, and admiration from those that don’t. But, the ultimate reward is knowing,
knowing, that no matter what is put in your way, the obstacles, hardships and struggles, nothing and no one can make you give up until you have achieved what you set out to do. You are an unstoppable force that simply will not quit until you win, and no matter how many times you fail, you keep coming until you get what you want.
Now, go out and get it!
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