 Willpower. It’s something we usually say we either have or we don’t; there seems to be no in between. But what if we all have willpower, we just haven’t been properly executing it?
For some of us, reaching our goals often comes down to what we are willing to sacrifice in order to get there. Or, how much willpower we have; how much we give in to temptation. Rather than relying solely on your willpower to get you through those difficult days, because yes, we all have them, why not use your willpower to your advantage. Here’s what I mean: I have to workout in the morning. There’s no way around it. If I don’t get it done first thing, when my “willpower” is at its highest, it’s probably not going to happen. In general, I work best earlier in the day. My brain pretty much shuts off once the kids go to bed. I’m exhausted and don’t have the energy to do much of anything including cook, work or exercise. Therefore I know I need to take advantage of the earlier hours and get what I need to get done then. I don't workout at 6 am because I have more willpower than you or anyone else. I workout at 6 am because I know it’s when I am at my best. In other words, my willpower is at its highest. The same goes for anything in life. Take meal prep. If you took the time to prep all your meals for the week and have them sitting in your fridge/freezer ready to eat, then you are less likely to come home from work, tired and hungry, and reach for that frozen pizza. In fact, heating your meal will take LESS time than the pizza. No willpower required. Pizza. That brings me to my next point. If you have certain trigger foods, foods you typically can't resist, avoid them. Avoid them at all costs. Don’t buy them for your children or your spouse, you are not doing them any favours bringing junk into the house anyways! The truth is, if you have it in the house, you will need to rely on willpower in order not to eat these foods. And we all know willpower is not that reliable. So take away the temptation and you take away the need to execute willpower. When it comes down to it, willpower should be a tool used only when necessary, not something you should have to dig deep to find every day. Take away temptation. Know your triggers. Learn to use your won’t power and decide you won’t put yourself in a situation where your willpower will be tested! Here are some simple suggestions to ensure you won’t put yourself in a “test of willpower” environment:
It doesn’t have to be so difficult to become, and stay, healthy. Figure out when your willpower is at its highest and use that time to your advantage! Thanks for following along! Andrea |
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