The truth about willpower

Let's take a moment to reflect on willpower. Many people often inquire about it, feeling they lack it when they struggle to achieve their goals and have to start over. But here's the surprising thing about willpower.

It turns out that those who believe they don't have enough of it might not have enough, but only because they think they don't. What? Let's rewind to the 1990s for a moment. During that time, scientists developed a theory called "ego depletion." According to that theory, willpower is considered a limited resource.

So if you're tired, stressed, or have made many decisions during the day, you're more likely to deplete your willpower. This sets you up to potentially skip your planned workout, decide to order takeaway instead of making a healthy home-cooked meal, or make other decisions that typically rely on willpower.

But now, fast forward to today... According to new research, ego depletion may only apply if you believe in it. That is, if you believe you will run out of willpower, you will likely run out of willpower. However, this is good news. It means you can regain control over your actions and stop relying on willpower!

Here's one way to do that: the next time you feel like you don't have willpower, shift into problem-solving mode. Ask yourself: Why do you feel like your willpower is slipping? Is it a scheduling issue? Is there a problem with planning? Are your expectations set too high, too soon? Are you exhausted? Are you worried or upset?

Here's an actual example from my own life! Every Thursday night, I found myself feeling extra tempted to order takeout rather than eating at home. After some thought, I realised the issue: Thursday was the day I ran out of planned and prepped meals for the week. The solution? Set aside some time on Wednesday to restock my kitchen so that I have healthy food on hand. Nothing motivates you more than knowing you're making steady progress, and the only way to keep moving forward is to keep solving those problems!