Develop a Strong Inner Citadel (Willpower)

Will is like self-control and wisdom. We depend on willpower to quit alcohol consumption, avoid too much eating, save money, overcome procrastination, and achieve our goals. It impacts on of our lives. Will is the discipline of the heart and the soul.

In 2011, 27% of the participants of the Stress in America survey reported that lack of willpower was the greatest barrier to change. Through, many tests researchers discovered that with the right practice, willpower can be developed just like a muscle.

What is willpower?

Will is our inner power, which can never be affected by the outside world. It is our final trump card. Placed in some situation that seems unchangeable and undeniably negative, we can turn it into a learning experience. Willpower needs to be cultivated. true will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility. (Noted from Ryan Holiday’s book “The Obstacle is the way”).

Studies have covered that people scoring high on self-control are more able at regulating behavioral, emotional and attention impulses to achieve long-term goals when compared to more passionate individuals.

Students who rank high on self-discipline have good grades, better school attendance, and well standardized-test scores, and are more likely to be admitted to a competitive high school program. Self-discipline is more important than IQ in academic success.

Why willpower is essential?

Many people are aware of the importance of willpower, but, studies will run through the searching for more studies on willpower.

Self-control seems to be a better predictor of academic achievement than IQ. It is also a stronger reason for effective leadership than glamour and more important for satisfaction than sympathy.

Wherever you look at it, people with better willpower are:

Prepare for a difficult time

Healthier

More satisfied in their lives

Wealthier and further ahead of their goals

More able to manage stress, expectations

Protect their inner self

We all have been born with willpower and we all use it to some expansion. But lots of us would be closer to achieving all our goals if we exercised improving our willpower.

Tips to develop willpower

Strengthen your self-awareness — Self-awareness is the power to recognize what we are doing. Our thought processes, emotions, and reasons for acting are an essential part of making better choices. One thing you can do to improve your self-awareness is to keep mark of all your choices in a day. At the end of the day examine which ones supported your long-term goals and which ones didn’t.

Use imagination power —Visualization is a powerful technique for increasing willpower. Imagine the outcome you want to achieve and then put your willpower for the same. for ex. see yourself as lovable, energetic attractive, and happy. Imagine being as fit as you want to be. Keep these images in your mind continuously.

Keeps negativity aside, think positive, and imagine yourself achieving what you have set goals in your life.

Meditate — Exercising mindfulness meditation for a few minutes every day can actually enhance your willpower by escalating gray matter in areas of the brain that manage emotions and govern decision-making. Paying observation to what’s happening at the moment, what’s going on in your body, your mind, and all around you, can make it easier to notice you make several hundred times a day. By meditating you are training the brain to focus and combat the urge to wander.

Try to eat better — Avoid unhealthy diets and eat a nutritious diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein sources such as chicken and fish. When you feel hungry eat a healthy snack, it will help to maintain energy levels.

Develop good habits — When people are tense, they are willing towards ingrained habits — whether those habits are beneficial or harmful. Fortunately for us, knowledge is power. you’ll control your cravings for sugar or alcohol. Even if we start with some small good habits , like making our beds, this can have a powerful, positive effect on our willpower. These small habits build self-discipline and self-control, and that good impact on other areas of our life.

Relax — IN 2010, American Psychological Association found that 75% of people in the United States report high levels of stress. Americans are also increasingly sleep-deprived, causing a bad self-control and focus.

It is not possible to exercise self-control all the time. Take a break time to time, reading, listening to music, watching TV, Spending time with loved ones, going out for walk, and after that get back to your goals as you are learning how to improve willpower.

If you do this, you feel refreshed, and you’ll have better willpower to produce better work.