A lot of people talk about willpower being a finite battery. You use willpower, your willpower battery drains. When the battery runs out of juice, you have no willpower. In other words, walk past cake one too many times and you end up eating cake. If you always plan on seeing “x” as a reward [...]
A lot of people talk about willpower being a finite battery. You use willpower, your willpower battery drains. When the battery runs out of juice, you have no willpower. In other words, walk past cake one too many times and you end up eating cake.
If you always plan on seeing “x” as a reward you’re holding back from, you’re going to struggle. It’s better to pick a fight and make an enemy.
- Cake is soooo delicious. /willpower to prevent self from indulging.
- Cake is an enemy preventing me from getting what I really want.
If you always plan on seeing “y” as a punishment, you’re going to struggle. It’s better to have a positive reward to fight for..
- I have to exercise today because, uhh, who knows? /willpower to force self to exercise
- I have to train because I’m competing for a cash prize. I have to train because I don’t want to continually wake up to something I hate.
It’s tough to manage willpower when you’re always using willpower. It’s tough to consistently force yourself to do things you don’t want to do. This is why most people can’t manage willpower. The alternative is to rewire you’re brain so that you don’t use willpower. There’s no willpower battery drainage when you walk past a mangle of maggots eating moldy cake.
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I’m enjoying: Generation Iron