GROW WITH CHANGE: A ‘WILLPOWER’ WORKAROUND

With a crush of distractions and a continual onslaught of chaotic change, are you tempted to get off track? You’re not alone, and no, you probably don’t have ADHD. Over 57% of adults feel that they lack the discipline to “get the important things done.”

If your ‘will-power’ is letting you down, it might not be something you’re ‘lacking.’ In fact, let’s drop the term ‘willpower’ because it implies you can will yourself through impossible situations, and most people can’t.

Check your Goals. Maybe the issue isn’t a lack of ‘willpower;’ maybe you’re following goals that don’t belong to you. It just isn’t that important or relevant to you. There is nothing wrong with dropping the goal if it isn’t yours.

However … if you are sure that you want to do this thing, here are two suggestions and a handy reference.

First, set up iron-clad commitment devices that stop you from procrastinating, or giving in to temptation or distraction. Willpower and self-discipline are not built-in human traits, so your reliance on self-discipline alone probably won’t work. Until you’ve created a solid habit, willpower will never cut it. More about these devices here.

Second, make rewards more immediate and interesting. The limbic system, or your emotional control center, has to find this goal attractive. The immediate rewards of procrastination and distraction often win. Distant-future rewards like completing an advanced degree aren’t enough to motivate you, especially in a distracting, addictive environment. Create more immediate and stronger rewards for early steps.

Thirdly, refuse to put yourself down when you think you are falling short. Recent studies (Biological Psychology, Vol 172, July 2022) confirm that cortisol is released when we disapprove of/punish/put ourselves down and that this substance can be addictive, such that we become attached to the shame associated with our punishing thoughts. This circular process makes it virtually impossible to move forward.

Try these three tips - then check out more info in this free chapter.

“Change is a force to be feared or an opportunity to be seized,

and the choice is our.” J.Lapp