Will Power: How to Improve Yours in a Flash

Having stronger will power would make so many things easier. It would help us be more in control of eating, exercise, sleep and spending habits. We’d be able to focus better on work tasks; stick with projects until they are complete. Sometimes, it actually feels like stronger will power could be the secret to achieving many of our goals and finding fulfillment and happiness. Thankfully, there are some basic strategies that help us to improve will power.

They are simple to implement and very much in our own control.  

How to Build Will Power

First some background on will power. The American Psychology Association defines will power as “the ability to resist short term temptations to meet long term goals.” As we all know, will power can be essential to doing something good, like exercising. But it can also be key when we need to stop doing something bad, like overeating.

The impact of our own will power extends well beyond our physical habits, though.

It takes strong will power to make good financial decisions, to show up at work when we are tired or listless; to stay calm when we feel annoyed or irritated; to persevere, in the face or road blocks or obstacles in our lives.

What Is Will Power?

Many of us yearn to have more will power and we admire people who seem to have an endless supply. But will power isn’t a personality trait. It’s not a characteristic or a value that you either have or don’t have. Will power is actually more like a muscle.

Will power is a muscle that you can exercise and make stronger.

Also like a muscle, our will power will fail us if it is pushed to its limit or used too often.

Strategies To Strengthen Will Power

When we take on too many challenges, or have too many decisions to make, or try to become better at three things at once, our will power is more likely to give out on us. So it’s important to make choices and set priorities when we need our will power to be strongest.

We need to pick one thing to focus on and give it our all.

For example, many people attempt to diet and implement an exercise program at the same time. This is what our doctors always tell us to do, right?

Learn More About How to Strengthen Your Will Power

But the truth is, starting both at the same time increases the odds of us failing – twice.

Although results may take longer to achieve, if we implement healthy habits one at a time, they are much more likely to stick. And we are more likely to reach our goals.

Sometimes we just simply take too much on.

I think back to when I returned to work after maternity leave. Talk about multiple strains on will power. I was sleep deprived, trying to make an impact at work, struggling to lose baby weight and re-establish an exercise program. And I felt as though I was failing at everything. Because I was.

Gosh, I just want to be able to go back in time and hug that woman. She was trying so hard. Too hard.

It’s important to be kind to ourselves when we’re facing multiple challenges at once.

Focus Is Important

We may feel as though our will power is non-existent; but in reality, it’s just spread out over too much stuff.

We need to reassure ourselves and set clear priorities; and maybe let some other stuff slide for a while. Here are some tactics that may help:

• Find ways to reduce choices: Every decision we make erodes will power. This is why it helps when we’re trying to eat healthy to keep junk food out of the house. When our choices are limited to healthy foods, we’re more likely to stick with our intentions.
• Create barriers to undesirable habits: If managing finances is where your will power is focused, leave your credit cards at home. Some people put them in the freezer in a block of ice so they have to take the time to thaw them before they can use them.
• Timing is everything. Don’t try to take on a big challenge when you’ll be under stress for other reasons. If you have an upcoming move, don’t start an exercise program. Don’t take on a new class as the holidays approach.
• Reduce stress: Anything that reduces stress increases will power. Read that again. It’s true. How can we reduce our stress? Devote an hour on Sunday to prepare for the week ahead. Get a grocery delivery service. Hire a babysitter. Limit our wardrobe to a few colors so everything matches. Clean out our closets. You get the idea.
• Avoid the “what the hell” effect: This is what happens when we slip up in our commitment to a healthy habit. We ate a cookie, so we may as well have some ice cream. We bought new shoes, so we may as well get a new outfit. Or we had one drink – so we may as well have a few more. We can stop and recommit at any point. Just because we’ve had a minor slip up does not mean all is lost.

So, what are we going to dedicate our focus to today?

What one significant effort are we going to focus on? Share it with us all so we can root for you and cheer you on.

Have some secret tactics of your own that help make you stronger? Comment and share your ideas with us, too. After all, we’re in this together, and we’re all so much more than enough.

Thank you as always for reading.

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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach.  Joan’s career includes clinical healthcare plus 20+ years as an executive in a nationwide health care system and 15 years as a consultant. The common threads throughout Joan’s personal and professional life are a commitment to non-profit organizations, mental health, compassionate coaching, professional development and servant leadership. Joan has had the privilege of mentoring early and mid-career professionals as well as current and future executives and leaders. She is a member of the International Organization of Life Coaches, serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is also a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me. You can read more about Joan here: Joan Senio.