How to Increase Your Willpower
Break things down into manageable chunks., Set reasonable deadlines., Make a plan.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Break things down into manageable chunks.
If you're overwhelmed by the enormity of a task, it's more difficult to succeed.
You won't be able to sustain your willpower if you feel like you're setting impossibly high standards for yourself.
You can increase your willpower by breaking down difficult tasks in small, manageable chunks.
In her memoir Bird By Bird, writer Anne Lamott describes her brother working on a school report cataloguing different types of birds.
Having put off the project to the last minute, her brother felt overwhelmed by the task before her father came, wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, Just take it bird by bird." What this means, of course, is that enormous tasks can be broken down in manageable chunks.If you want to get something done and feel overwhelmed, take things bird by bird.
If you have a 20 page term paper, promise yourself to write two pages a day in the weeks leading up to the deadline.
If you want to lose 40 pounds, set a goal of eight pounds lost per month.
If you want to be able to run five miles, use an application like "Couch to 5K" to gradually build your speed and strength over time.
When we break big tasks down into small components, they suddenly seem doable. -
Step 2: Set reasonable deadlines.
If you want to increase your willpower, you need to make deadlines for yourself.
No one can function without a schedule.
Set deadlines that you can reasonably achieve and stick to them.
If you want to, say, start exercising five days a week and you currently do not work out at all, you'll burn out in a week going straight to your goal.
Instead, set a schedule.
Decide to work out two days a week for a week, then move that up to three days, then four days, and then five.Keep track of your successes.
Invest in a large calendar you can display on the fridge or wall.
Write a small note about your success that day on the calendar.
For example, on October 3rd write something like, "Ran three miles today." Seeing your success concretely can help you feel a sense of pride that will motivate you to continue., A technique that may help when your willpower is tested is to use an "implementation intention," or an "If, then" statement to plan for situations in which you might face temptation.For example, you may be trying to give up sugar, but you're going to a birthday party and you know there will be cake there.
Make your plan before the party: "If someone offers me a piece of cake, then I will have some of this fruit salad I am bringing instead."Having a plan already in place may reduce strain on your willpower, as you have essentially already made the decision and don't need to battle your desire for sugar in the moment.This can work even if your self-control has been depleted. -
Step 3: Make a plan.
Detailed Guide
If you're overwhelmed by the enormity of a task, it's more difficult to succeed.
You won't be able to sustain your willpower if you feel like you're setting impossibly high standards for yourself.
You can increase your willpower by breaking down difficult tasks in small, manageable chunks.
In her memoir Bird By Bird, writer Anne Lamott describes her brother working on a school report cataloguing different types of birds.
Having put off the project to the last minute, her brother felt overwhelmed by the task before her father came, wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, Just take it bird by bird." What this means, of course, is that enormous tasks can be broken down in manageable chunks.If you want to get something done and feel overwhelmed, take things bird by bird.
If you have a 20 page term paper, promise yourself to write two pages a day in the weeks leading up to the deadline.
If you want to lose 40 pounds, set a goal of eight pounds lost per month.
If you want to be able to run five miles, use an application like "Couch to 5K" to gradually build your speed and strength over time.
When we break big tasks down into small components, they suddenly seem doable.
If you want to increase your willpower, you need to make deadlines for yourself.
No one can function without a schedule.
Set deadlines that you can reasonably achieve and stick to them.
If you want to, say, start exercising five days a week and you currently do not work out at all, you'll burn out in a week going straight to your goal.
Instead, set a schedule.
Decide to work out two days a week for a week, then move that up to three days, then four days, and then five.Keep track of your successes.
Invest in a large calendar you can display on the fridge or wall.
Write a small note about your success that day on the calendar.
For example, on October 3rd write something like, "Ran three miles today." Seeing your success concretely can help you feel a sense of pride that will motivate you to continue., A technique that may help when your willpower is tested is to use an "implementation intention," or an "If, then" statement to plan for situations in which you might face temptation.For example, you may be trying to give up sugar, but you're going to a birthday party and you know there will be cake there.
Make your plan before the party: "If someone offers me a piece of cake, then I will have some of this fruit salad I am bringing instead."Having a plan already in place may reduce strain on your willpower, as you have essentially already made the decision and don't need to battle your desire for sugar in the moment.This can work even if your self-control has been depleted.
About the Author
Frank Young
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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